Ghost from the Past
by Amelia-Hawke
Summary: Commander Shepard meets a ghost from her past in the form of a smuggler that agrees to help her hunt Saren but will the presence of this ghost help her find closure after Mindoir or reopen old wounds long thought healed? Or will the smuggler's smart mouth drive her to insanity first? T for language and violence. ME1 fic. F!ShepxKaidan, JokerxOC. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**UPDATES: I'm going to try my hardest to keep to my earlier promise of updating on Wednesday/Thursday but I can't guarantee that I will be able to do so. If I miss an update, I will update my profile to explain why. I do update it quite frequently. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.**

**SPOILERS: This story contains a spoiler alert for **_**Mass Effect**_**.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this story, aside from a few characters I created but as their creation depended on the universe of **_**Mass Effect**_**, I cannot take full credit. Otherwise it belongs to the awesome **_**BioWare**_**. On a similar note, much of my information is also taken from the **_**Mass Effect Wiki**_**.**

**Chapter 1**

The music – could it even be called music? - of Chora's Den wasn't usually her type of music but the…establishment was one of the few places where she could get work. Ever since Fist had been killed by a Krogan mercenary hired by the Shadow Broker a few weeks back, people were more willing to outsource their smuggling needs to someone else and were eager to use freelancers, especially those that could get the job done. It wasn't like anyone was going to intimidate them or insist on taking a piece of the action anymore. Chora's Den lacked the security of Flux and few C-Sec officers ever went there. The ones that did usually wanted to keep a low profile or were too drunk to care what was going on around them.

The young woman sighed and scanned the room. The place wasn't full but it wasn't exactly empty either. There was a sleazy human C-Sec officer that kept looking her way between his bottles of beer, likely trying to come up with some sort of pickup line - as if he had a shot with her; a bachelor's party in the far corner that got louder with every round of alcohol and a few other loners that had come to drown their sorrows in some or other form of alcohol or distract themselves by watching the half-naked women… do whatever it was they were doing. It was her honest opinion that shaking their asses in public could not be called 'dancing'.

This was always the worst part of the job: the waiting. The waiting for a new client to show up; the waiting for the port authorities to search her ship and find nothing; the waiting for the perfect opening to sneak past unnoticed…She blew her red fringe out of her green eyes in an impatient gesture and leant back in her chair, placing her feet on the table and crossing them at the ankles. If the waiting was going to continue, she may as well be comfortable. There was a small glass of whiskey on the rocks on the table which she lifted and took a small sip. It was the top shelf stuff that couldn't be wasted by downing it in a single gulp.

The ice blocks clinked against each other as she replaced it on the table's surface, sounding better to her ears than the too loud music that did nothing to drown out the sounds of the drunks cheering at the dancers. A young human man entered Chora's Den just then. Normally, she wouldn't have paid him any attention until he glanced briefly at the rather annoying dancers (or so she thought) and then his eyes landed on her table. The young woman didn't even look up as he took the seat opposite her, content to stare at her glass and watch the ice melt. It was far more interesting to watch than the…entertainment.

"You're late," she commented nonchalantly.

Then her green eyes flicked up and took in the young man's restless demeanour. She glanced towards another table nearby where one of the loners shifted uncomfortably in his chair, trying to look like he was disinterested in their business but he was close enough to eavesdrop. Something strange was going on.

"Are you…Ghost?" her new companion leant forward and asked in a whisper, afraid to be overheard by anyone.

Ghost adopted an ignorant tone, choosing to test this newbie. "Do I look like I'm dead?"

"Not _a _ghost," the man hissed irritably. "_The_ Ghost."

Ghost glanced to the side and noticed the table was now empty. It certainly was suspicious or perhaps it was merely happenstance.

"I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else," Ghost said casually and took another sip from her glass.

The man regarded her coldly and leant back in his chair. "You really expect me to believe that you just happened to be sitting at the exact table at the exact time I was supposed to be meeting Ghost?"

"It must be a coincidence," she answered with an innocent shrug and lifted her glass to indicate it was the sole reason for her being here. "I just came here to get a drink."

"At a gentlemen's club?"

Ghost scoffed. "I don't see any _gentlemen_ here."

The young man decided to change tactics. "That's such a shame. The people I represent were offering quite a large payment for such an easy delivery."

Despite her better judgement, Ghost was intrigued. Since the Geth had attacked Eden Prime, everyone who could handle a gun was on guard, prepared for an invasion by the synthetics. Alliance patrols had increased around all human colonies and the Citadel races had also increased security around their own colonies, even though "officially" Eden Prime was an isolated incident. Ghost wasn't interested in the politics of it all but it just made her job much harder. An easy job would certainly make a nice change. The credits wouldn't hurt either. She picked up her glass and swirled the amber liquid thoughtfully. All of her instincts were screaming "TRAP!" and yet, her curiosity was piqued.

"An easy delivery, huh?"

"Well, it would be for Ghost." The young man realised he had her on the hook and his restlessness had pretty much disappeared. Now he was the picture of calm and perhaps there was some arrogance too.

"Hypothetically, if I was Ghost, what would the delivery require?" she asked carefully, choosing her words so she wouldn't implicate herself. There were far too many people who were after her to take a chance.

The man was definitely annoyed by her glibness. "I don't deal in hypotheticals."

He was trying to push too hard to get her to admit her identity. Her usual clientele that required their merchandise to be moved discreetly tried their hardest to avoid confirming identities – hers and theirs. This man clearly thought it was the final push he needed but it was the final piece of the puzzle for Ghost: his restless demeanour, the supposedly easy job, the attempt at trying to confirm her identity. Instead, she downed the last of her whiskey – no need for perfectly good alcohol to go to waste – and returned her feet to the floor. Her obvious desire to leave did not go unnoticed by the man and he must have assumed she was getting ready to accept the job.

"I see," she replied evenly. "Then I'm afraid we have nothing further to discuss."

The man was surprised. This conversation did not go in the direction he imagined. Ghost got to her feet and made it as far as the door before she was surrounded by a group of C-Sec officers, most of them dressed in their street clothes as an attempt to blend in with the crowd. In an act of surrender, she raised her hands until they were at shoulder height with her palms facing forward and regarded the approaching Turian with a smirk. It wasn't often that C-Sec was one step ahead of her but this was a decent attempt, if only a more experienced undercover had been assigned to the job. This must have been organised in a hurry. C-Sec didn't have enough to charge her. She knew it and, more importantly, they knew it.

"Executor Pallin, it's always _such_ a pleasure," she greeted with obvious sarcasm.

The Executor folded his arms across his chest, unimpressed. "I believe you forgot to pay for your drink, Ghost."

She shrugged, her smirk getting wider. "I just assumed someone would pay for it. It was recently pointed out to me that this is a gentleman's club so I assumed someone would do the gentlemanly thing and buy a girl a drink."

Executor Pallin was unconvinced. "You are under arrest for various counts of smuggling and you will be taken into C-Sec custody. All weapons will be confiscated and your ship will be impounded. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

One officer - the delightful young man she had just been talking with - walked up behind her and roughly handcuffed her hands behind her back. Perhaps he was frustrated that he couldn't get a confession out of her. She guessed she had more experience than he did. Another officer relieved her of her Karpov X pistol from her left holster and a combat knife that was strapped to her right thigh. She continued to smirk as Executor Pallin grabbed her right elbow and forced her to walk, escorted by three other officers, to the C-Sec offices for processing. This was not how she imagined her day going yet there was still some potential. It would be interesting to see if C-Sec had adopted any new tactics for dealing with smart mouthed criminals. She highly doubted it.

* * *

><p>Commander Jo Shepard was walking through the Presidium, deep in thought. She had just met another survivor from the raid of Mindoir…although 'survivor' might not have been the appropriate term. Talitha, a young woman, was emotionally and psychologically scarred from her experience with the Batarian slavers. Talitha was in such bad shape, she was attempting to take her own life. Shepard had managed to get close enough to get her to voluntarily take a sedative so Lieutenant Girard could get her some help. It was unsettling to see what Shepard could have become. She had thought she had closed that chapter of her life – the pain, the horror, the grief – when she enlisted with the Alliance and had never looked back. Until now. It could have been her, standing on the docking bay, under different circumstances. She couldn't think like that, not now. She needed to focus on the present.<p>

Although any assignments that Shepard needed to complete on Citadel Station had been completed hours ago, it was still necessary to hang around to buy some new gear, especially for Liara, their newest crew member. Shepard and Liara were also accompanied by their young quarian crew member, Tali'Zorah. Apparently, during their previous visit to Citadel Station, Tali was too busy getting shot at and trying to get into contact with the Shadow Broker to really appreciate the touristy grandeur of Citadel Station. The rest of the crew of the _Normandy_ had also been given permission to go ashore while Shepard dealt with "important Spectre business" – basically, getting shiny new gear for the crew members, mainly the ground crew, and making sure everyone would be fit to fight, just in case – and there was still at least two hours before everyone was ordered to return. May as well put that time to good use.

Shepard, Liara and Tali stopped at an Emporium that was run by a Hanar merchant. It was probably going to be a long wait while Liara tried to find some new armour that she liked. This was their third shop after all, and Liara had yet to find something that she approved of. Shepard thankfully took an empty seat nearby and watched as Tali tried to help Liara find armour that was stylish as well as functional. It was amusing during the first two stops but now it was wearing thin. It was clear that Liara had a very specific set of tastes and she would settle for nothing less. Her unwavering fascination with the extinction of the Protheans was evidence of that, even though she now knew that they were wiped out by the Reapers. However, the fact that both Tali and Liara treated armour as fashion was not a good sign. They must not see a lot of combat then.

Once Liara had found something she liked, eventually, and Shepard had paid for it, they started the long walk back to the _Normandy_. Shepard wanted to spend some time trying to figure out what it was that Saren was planning and to find some more information about Feros. From what she had learnt, there was nothing there that would attract the Geth or Saren and yet, they had attacked the small human colony of Zhu's Hope. Captain Anderson had warned Shepard multiple times that Saren hated humanity and would do anything to halt its progress but Zhu's Hope was hardly a tactical target and it held little meaning to humanity's colonisation efforts, unlike Eden Prime. So why would Saren send his Geth to attack it? It just didn't add up. They were missing something and no one was in a hurry to share.

They made their way to the C-Sec Academy and went to wait for the elevator that would take them to the docks. The trip to Citadel Station was an overall success. They had successfully helped the investigative reporter, Emily Wong, to gather information for her new story about overworked traffic controllers; the _Normandy_ had passed a snap inspection by a disgruntled Alliance Admiral who disapproved of the non-Alliance crew members; Shepard had learnt which colours were in season from a rather chatty shop assistant at their first stop and Liara now had gear that would last for a few fire fights. The only downside of this trip was getting cornered by the reporter, Khalisah Al-Jilani. Shepard had answered her questions to the best of her ability. Still, she was nervous about hearing back from the Alliance brass.

The elevator dinged to signal its arrival and the doors slid open. However, just before Shepard, Liara and Tali could get into it, a C-Sec officer rushed over.

"Commander Shepard?" he asked, breathless.

Shepard turned to face the man in confusion. "Yes?"

"Executor Pallin needs to talk to you urgently," the officer answered. "He also asks that you come alone."

It was definitely an odd request but Shepard supposed that came with being a Spectre – odd requests with little information. She nodded to Liara and Tali to let them know that they should return to the _Normandy_ without her. The Asari and the quarian did not argue as they walked into the elevator. As the doors slid closed, they started chatting about the latest in armour developments and how Prothean technology was responsible for most of the recent upgrades. Suddenly, Shepard was quite relieved to not be a part of that conversation and followed the C-Sec officer down a few corridors until they came to a stop near a single door.

Executor Pallin was standing there, waiting, and he was also holding a datapad. It looked like he was frowning, or so Shepard assumed, when he turned to address the Commander. Normally, she wasn't good at reading Turian expressions but since Garrus had joined them, she was slowly getting better at it.

"Commander Shepard, thank you for coming," Executor Pallin greeted.

It wasn't like she had a choice but she kept that thought to herself. "What can I do for you, Executor?"

"Are you aware of a smuggler that goes by the name of Ghost?" he asked cryptically.

Shepard was puzzled. "I've heard rumours of an elusive smuggler that even the Alliance is having trouble catching. That's about it, though."

"Ghost is an extremely effective smuggler who doesn't seem to operate in any one place. She's taken jobs from basically anyone who can pay and is believed to have smuggled large amounts of weapons, explosives, technology, and stolen merchandise for various persons and has also helped certain people evade the law. She is almost impossible to track and it's also hard to make any charges stick because she does a good job of cleaning up afterwards. Somehow, she also learns of any moves we try to make against her and is able to disappear before we've even got a warrant," Executor Pallin explained, his voice gruff with irritation.

Shepard was still confused and wasn't quite following, barely even noticing the use of 'she'. "So…are you asking me to try to track her down?"

The Turian shook his head. "No, Commander. We received a tip that she was on Citadel Station looking for work. We were able to set up a quick undercover job with only a few people clued in on the operation so she wouldn't know what was going on. Our operation was successful and we now have Ghost in custody. She hasn't admitted to anything and we have little evidence to hold her on for the smuggling however the ship she arrived in was reported stolen so we're holding her on that charge. When we processed her, we got no hits with facial recognition and we got nothing with her fingerprints either so we ran her DNA in an attempt to get an identity or a connection to other crimes."

"What does this have to do with me?" Shepard asked, still bewildered.

"While her DNA didn't provide us with an identity, we did get a partial match." The Executor paused, hoping that Shepard had understood what he just told her. When she continued to look at him blankly, he added "To you, Commander Shepard. A familial match."

Shepard was silent for a moment as she considered this new information. Was it even possible? She decided she didn't want to jump to conclusions and she wanted a straight answer. "What are you saying, Executor?"

"After we got the initial partial match, we ran it again just to make sure it wasn't a mistake. Once we got the same results, we did a bit of digging just to be sure. I believe we have your sister in custody, Commander," Executor Pallin clarified.

The Commander was having a hard time accepting it. Executor Pallin was unsurprised by this and redirected his attention to the datapad he was still holding. He tapped it a few times and then passed it to Shepard. The datapad was displaying a single picture of a woman with a slight frame and the build of a gymnast. Her straight red hair was long and was tied back into a pony with her fringe hanging out, just long enough to dangle in front of her bright green eyes, which were further accentuated with black eyeliner. Her red lips were turned upwards in the form of a mocking smirk. She was wearing dark blue pants with knee high black leather boots along with a dark blue tank top and a black leather jacket. A belt, which also doubled as her holsters, completed the outfit.

There was something familiar about this woman: the red hair, the mischievous glint of her green eyes and the way she was looking at the world as though everything was a joke.

"It's been a long time since I last saw her but it looks like Sydney," Shepard confirmed quietly, still reeling from the possibility that her sister might be alive. "What else do you know about her?"

"Not much. There were no personal effects on the ship and her gear that we confiscated was minimal. All terminals on the ship were also wiped clean, almost as if she was preparing to sell it. There was a gun, two knives, a small pack of tools, various odds and ends and her omni-tool that no one has been able to hack into," Executor Pallin explained.

"But why tell me?" Shepard asked.

"She is your sister. We needed to notify someone that we have her in custody, as per C-Sec protocol. You are her only living relative and next of kin. And, as a Spectre, it is also a courtesy."

That was a reasonable explanation. "Can I talk to her?"

Executor Pallin nodded. "Of course, Commander. She waived her right to counsel and, as you are a Spectre, I cannot decline your request. However, there is something else you may want to consider."

* * *

><p>The interrogation room was, in a word, boring. The walls were dark grey and the floor wasn't much different, perhaps a shade lighter. There was a fluorescent light hanging on the ceiling and it bathed the room in bright white light, reminiscent of a hospital. There was an iron table in the centre of the room with a single chair placed on either side. Sydney was in the chair facing the only door, the chair opposite her was empty. Her attention was focused on the metallic bracelets that connected her right wrist to the right armrest of the chair. An escape plan was slowly forming in her mind, if only there was a way to get out of the handcuffs. Of course, assuming she could get out of them, she would still need to find a ship and some way to get her omni-tool back. But first things first…<p>

A thought suddenly occurred to her. It had been a while since someone had come into the interrogation room to check on her or try to get her to admit that she was Ghost. It was rather odd…unless C-Sec was planning something. The question then became: what? The clichéd and overdone "Good cop, bad cop" routine? The seldom used and rarely successful "Bad cop, bad cop"? Maybe they were going to fabricate a witness to convince her to confess. No real witnesses existed mainly because the people that did know she was Ghost were either dead, clients or they owed her one and therefore would not implicate her without implicating themselves. Or maybe they were just letting her stew in her paranoia. That one was always fun. It was likely that they were on their lunch break. C-Sec officers sure loved their lunch breaks.

Well, as long as she had some free time and chances were pretty slim that someone would try to kill her while in custody, she may as well get some shut eye. She placed her forehead on the cool surface of the table and closed her eyes. Apparently, that was the exact moment that C-Sec decided to interrupt her. Heavy footfalls echoed in the room as her guest walked over and sat in the chair opposite her. Sydney sat up in her chair and looked at the woman opposite. It was confusing and surprising considering this woman was definitely not C-Sec. She was wearing heavy black armour with "N7" in white lettering (Sydney had to wrack her brain to remember what it stood for). Her build was soldier-esque, basically there was muscle built in all the right places while allowing her to maintain her feminine figure. Her black hair was tied back in an Alliance regulation bun while her green eyes were piercing with a subtle disappointment… Something clicked in Sydney's mind as to why the look was so familiar.

"What's a shiny Spectre like yourself doing in an interrogation room like this?" Sydney asked in a serious tone and gestured vaguely around the room with her free hand.

Jo raised an eyebrow in question. Sydney shrugged and leant back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest – well, as close as she could get, anyway. The look was obviously a question: how had she recognised Jo almost immediately after thirteen years?

"You're giving me the same look I used to get from Mom all the time. And the entire galaxy knows you're the first human Spectre, even though some aren't in a hurry to believe it," she answered the unasked question.

"And you get up to date news while you're smuggling, Sydney?" Jo asked disapprovingly.

The question was ignored entirely. "I prefer Sid."

"That's strange, I thought you prefer Ghost," Jo accused.

Sid sighed dramatically. "Everyone seems to think that but I have no idea why." It was unconvincing.

"How do you explain the ship then? It is the perfect size for a smuggling vessel and even has some modifications that aren't strictly legal. Exactly what you would expect from a smuggler."

"I borrowed it."

Jo raised an eyebrow. "Executor Pallin said it was reported stolen."

"Did you really come into my interrogation room to argue over semantics?" Sid challenged. "Perhaps the person I borrowed it from was the smuggler. I had no idea about the modifications."

"Are you or are you not the smuggler known as Ghost?" Jo asked irritably.

Sid regarded her sister. "I don't understand you, Jo. You finally take an interest in me and you want me to confess to being a wanted smuggler while in C-Sec custody and Spectre or no, they are recording this conversation. The family reunion I pictured involved much more alcohol." She paused. "And there were no handcuffs involved."

"And here I thought you might have gained the ability to take things seriously and that you would take responsibility for your actions."

Sid sighed again. "I don't need you to tell me things are serious, Jo." She shook her right hand to emphasize her metallic bracelets. "I'm not wearing these because they're stylish. I'm handcuffed to the furniture. The _furniture_, Jo. They don't do that unless it's serious…or unless they think the handcuffs bring out your eyes but I doubt that's the case."

Jo rolled her eyes at Sid's nonsense. "Well, if you were Ghost, I would have a job for you."

Sid was starting to experience déjà vu. "Does Executor Pallin give you a script to read from or something?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and cocked her head to the side.

Jo and Sid sat in silence as they were at a stalemate. Neither would give in without the other giving something up. If Sid admitted that she was in fact Ghost then she would face some serious jail time whereas Jo was just being stubborn. Sid's earlier comment was eating at Jo's conscience. It was true that she never spent a moment trying to find her sister so perhaps this was her fault. She had just lectured Sid on taking responsibility for her actions and it wasn't as though her mission was top secret. Maybe the mission would be a good influence on the obviously troubled little Shepard. Everyone on the crew, except for Wrex, had a firm belief between right and wrong.

"All right, Sid. I am on an important mission to bring down the rogue Spectre known as Saren."

Sid was caught off guard by Jo's sudden honesty and dropping of all pretences. All she could do was listen with a vaguely confused expression on her face. "Wasn't he the Council's best and brightest?"

"Yes which is why I need all the help I can get, even from a comedian like you."

"I'm going to ignore that last comment," Sid replied, offended. "And what exactly do you think I can bring to the table, hypothetically speaking?"

"I figure that spending time in the Terminus Systems does lend you some skill in battle," Jo pointed out.

Once again Sid was offended. "I am strictly non-violent."

"Then why do you carry a gun and…knives?" Jo countered, obviously confused by the unconventional weapon.

"Self-defence," Sid answered in a tone that made it sound so obvious yet believable at the same time.

It was Jo's turn to be puzzled by her sister. "I'm giving you a way out and I'm convincing _you_ to come with _me_? Shouldn't you be convincing me to bring you with?"

"Not if you need my help," Sid countered and then she took a moment to regard her sister. "Why did you come here, Jo? To ease your conscience?"

Jo sighed in frustration. Sid always knew how to make things difficult. The smuggler in front of her was definitely acting in the interest of self-preservation. And yet, Jo needed Sid, not for her fighting abilities, but for her knowledge of moving around undetected – in case Saren used similar channels – as well as any contacts she might have that would have some idea of what Saren was looking for on Feros or perhaps where he was planning on going next. It was Executor Pallin's suggestion, as they both knew – despite Sid's denial and their lack of proof – that Sid was Ghost and she could help…if they could convince her to do so.

"You're right, I do need your help and not necessarily for your fighting abilities, or lack thereof."

Sid stared at Jo quizzically. "And if I agreed to help you, what would I get out of it?"

"C-Sec will drop all charges against you. Executor Pallin already agreed to it."

Sid sighed. It was probably going to be the best offer she would get for something like this, especially considering how badly C-Sec wanted to arrest her. A clean record – as she had yet to be arrested on anything - would certainly make future endeavours much easier. The deal was perfectly balanced; they would each get something important out of it so a betrayal was unlikely. If Jo did decide to betray Sid, there would be time to plan an escape, especially if they were traveling to other planets and as it was Spectre business, C-Sec wouldn't be privy to their plans. Even though Jo was her sister, Sid couldn't relax or let her guard down. The worst betrayals were always the ones she didn't see coming so she couldn't afford to take the risk. Too much time had passed and they had both changed a lot since they last saw each other for Sid to trust Jo.

"Very well, Jo, I agree to the deal," she decided. "But I am going to need my gear that the Executor confiscated from me. Especially my omni-tool."

Jo got to her feet and knocked on the door twice. "Agreed."

Executor Pallin opened the door from the other side and nodded once to Jo. Then he focused on Sid. "You understand that, if at any point, you try to run before Commander Shepard's mission is completed, you will become a fugitive?"

"I understand."

The Turian then looked back at Jo. "Commander Shepard, I hereby place Sydney Shepard in your custody. Until the completion of your mission and your return to Citadel space, you will be held responsible for any crimes that Sydney Shepard commits while on-board the _Normandy_ and while she remains an active member of your crew. Do you accept these terms?"

"I do," Jo answered.

Sid could never have guessed that two simple words could sound so ominous. Jo exited the room while the Executor unlocked the handcuffs and removed them. Sid rubbed her wrist and followed the Turian out of the room. He nodded once to a nearby C-Sec officer who then handed Sid a backpack and a disapproving glare to go along with it. She looked inside and found that all of her gear had been returned to her. It was weird to be without her omni-tool – she almost felt naked – so she took it out and secured it to her wrist. It probably wasn't a good idea to reach for her gun just yet so she ignored it. She looked up at Jo who then led the way back to the _Normandy_. This outcome certainly had not been expected. Sid wasn't under the illusion that she was free. The _SSV Normandy_ was still a prison and Commander Shepard its warden. At least there weren't any handcuffs involved…for the time being, at least.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to Liege Lord and curseofthe5 for your reviews. They are greatly appreciated. :)**

**Chapter 2**

The _Normandy_ wasn't quite what Sid had expected it to be although she wasn't sure what she had been expecting. It was a state of the art frigate ship, co-designed by the Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy which made it unique in many ways. Beyond that, Sid's knowledge was based on rumour and speculation. Quite a few of the criminal types enjoyed speculating about its capabilities to get some ideas on how to improve their own ships while the media…well, the media was always speculating about something. The design of the _Normandy_ was highly classified and even though that usually didn't deter Sid with her hacking abilities, the ship was still a prototype and it was unlikely to pose a threat to her or her business. It didn't seem likely that she would ever cross paths with the state-of-the-art frigate, especially since it had only recently been completed, so she had it near the bottom of her very long list of things to worry about at a later stage.

Boy, was she wrong.

The _Normandy_ was sleek and shiny. Even the VI that informed the Shepards as they boarded that they were being decontaminated was more polite than expected. Or it could have just been Sid's imagination. The ships she usually used were small and, in some cases, barely space worthy, but she made it work. Once the decontamination process was complete, the doors slid open to reveal the Command Deck. There were computer terminals everywhere. To the left, Sid could make out the front of the ship and she could just see the baseball cap of the helmsman sitting in the cockpit. To her right she could see the Galaxy Map and presumably a way that led to the rest of the ship.

Jo walked over to a man standing near the Galaxy Map. His attention was focused on one of the terminals and his back was towards them. The man was quite a few years older than they were and he had already lost much of the hair on his head. His Alliance uniform was clean and there wasn't a crease in sight. He obviously took great pride in being a part of the Alliance.

"Navigator Pressly?" Jo called.

The older man turned around. "Yes, Commander?" His eyes lingered momentarily on Sid and then returned to Jo.

"This is Sydney and she'll be helping us with our mission, mainly by gathering information."

Navigator Pressly nodded once in acknowledgement and Sid smiled brightly. The older man did not return the gesture and decided to keep things professional.

"Admiral Kahoku sent us some coordinates," Jo continued and gave Navigator Pressly a datapad. "I need you to forward them to Joker and order him to take off as soon as possible."

Navigator Pressly examined the datapad and then looked up again. "Aye, Commander."

Jo thanked him and she continued to walk past the Galaxy Map, towards some stairs. Apparently this was the tour. The corridors were mostly empty, aside from those soldiers working on their terminals and a few other soldiers posted near the doors who saluted Jo as she passed. A few looked at Sid curiously while others didn't even bother looking up from their terminals. Perhaps they were used to Jo bringing aboard non-Alliance crew members. It wasn't exactly standard procedure, especially on an advanced, prototype frigate. No one wanted the super-secret design aspects to become common knowledge. Then again, Jo had just recently been appointed Spectre status so perhaps the Alliance brass was being lenient.

As they descended the stairs, Sid decided to voice her confusion. "Who is Admiral Kachoo?"

Jo resisted the urge to smile and her face remained neutral. "Kahoku?"

"Close enough," Sid replied with a shrug.

"An admiral within the Alliance," Jo answered simply.

Sid sighed. "Gee, thanks. That clears everything up," she muttered under her breath sarcastically and then spoke louder. "I could have figured out that much on my own."

"Some of his men disappeared and I volunteered to investigate after he was stonewalled by the Council and the Alliance. We discovered that someone had set up a distress beacon within the nest of a Thresher Maw so anyone who would investigate would be killed. His men were unfortunate enough to be lured into the trap. When we arrived, it was too late for his men. However, we did manage to kill the Thresher Maw and we disabled the distress beacon. Once the Admiral learnt about what happened, he decided to try to find out who was responsible. Apparently, he discovered that an organisation I've never heard of was to blame," Jo explained. "What do you know about Cerberus?"

It was odd how Jo casually mentioned that they had killed a Thresher Maw as though it was a normal everyday occurrence.

"Cerberus was the name of the three headed dog that belonged to Hades and would serve him in the Underworld, according to Greek mythology," Sid answered. She knew it wasn't the information that Jo was looking for but she wanted to buy some time to figure out how much information to give the Commander.

They had reached the bottom of the stairs and covered a few more steps towards an elevator that would take them to the Cargo Hold, or so Sid assumed if the ship's layout was logical. Jo gave her sister a withering look that once again reminded her of their mother.

"Cute, Sid. I was referring to the group that killed Admiral Kahoku's men."

"It was an honest mistake, Jo," Sid replied and feigned innocence. Before Jo could argue that Sid wasn't exactly an honest person, Sid decided to answer her question. "They're a pro-Human organisation that works hard to further the aims of Humanity though the Council has labelled them as a terrorist organisation and most people believe they are anti-alien. They're paranoid and they like their privacy almost as much as they like their guns. They pay well, too so they must be pretty well funded."

Jo gave Sid a disapproving look. Smuggling for criminals was one thing but smuggling for a known terrorist group was a completely different thing. Especially when said terrorist group was involved in the murder of Alliance soldiers.

"That look has just made me reconsider all of my life choices and I now see the error of my ways," Sid said sarcastically in response to the look she was given and started to fan her face with her hand like she was about to start crying. "This is huge, Jo. I think…(she sniffed and pretended to wipe away a tear) I think we need to hug."

The elevator chose that moment to appear and the doors slid open. Jo and Sid then stepped into the elevator and Jo pushed the button that would take them down.

"Do you have to be so sarcastic, Sid?" Jo asked, exasperated.

Sid shrugged again. "It's a part of my charm," she answered in her normal voice as she examined the elevator.

It was small yet it must have been made by the same people responsible for the elevators on the Citadel because it was taking forever to travel such a short distance. For a prototype vessel, it was disappointing.

"Right," Jo replied sceptically. "What else do you know about Cerberus?"

"They're a pretty violent bunch. I imagine the Christmas parties are interesting. They will do whatever they feel is necessary to achieve their goals hence the terrorism. Apparently, blowing things up and kidnapping people is frowned upon by the Council. They also don't like it when outsiders involve themselves so your admiral might be in danger. I would add you to the list as well but Spectres generally tend to laugh in the face of danger. I hear it's an occupational hazard, making powerful enemies," Sid answered conversationally as she continued to make sure the elevator was bug free.

"Is that so?" Jo asked rhetorically.

Sid ignored her. "I'd also be worried about where he got his information from. Cerberus is extremely secretive about what they're doing and where they're doing it. Cerberus personnel are also willing to protect these secrets with their lives. There are very few people that would know the coordinates of anything to do with Cerberus and it's doubtful that the people that do know are law abiding folk. The information would almost definitely come with a price too and not necessarily one that can be paid off with credits. This sort of information doesn't come cheap."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Sid glanced at her sister and she could tell that she didn't want to believe that an active officer within the Alliance would break any laws or do anything illegal. It was pretty obvious that Jo believed the Alliance was always right and completely incorruptible. If only that were true but that was human nature. Rather than point out that the Alliance had done some pretty horrible things in their time – such as the events on Torfan – and not all Alliance soldiers were as good as Jo, Sid decided not to further antagonise her in case she soon found herself back in her cosy interrogation room and kept her thoughts to herself.

The elevator doors slid open and revealed the Cargo Hold. It wasn't particularly huge but there was enough space for the Mako, an Alliance Requisitions Officer, another Alliance solider and her small collection of guns that were spread across a table, a Krogan and a Turian. It was easy to spot the Alliance soldiers because they wore matching blue uniforms. If they had noticed the arrival of Jo and Sid, they didn't show it.

"What?" Jo asked carefully when she noticed Sid's smirk.

"This just sounds like the beginning of a bad joke," Sid answered simply. "A Human, a Krogan and a Turian walk onto a ship…"

"Emphasis on bad, then?"

Sid continued to smirk as Jo continued to give her the tour. She introduced Sid to Wrex (the Krogan mercenary responsible for Fist's untimely end), Ashley, Garrus, Tali and Engineer Adams. Sid was particularly excited to meet Tali. _A Quarian, a Krogan and a Turian walk onto a Human ship…_ just had so much more potential. Then she was assigned her own military grade and mandatory locker to keep her gear – namely weapons – safe. Well, that's what Jo told her but Sid suspected it was actually to keep the crew safe and her away from weapons. Once Jo watched Sid place her gun and knives inside the locker and was confident that it was locked, they returned to the elevator in silence. Sid didn't like being without a weapon, even though she disliked violence. At least she could keep her omni-tool.

While they rode the elevator back up to the main deck, Jo decided to make something very clear. She stood at her full height and clasped her hands behind her back with her attention on the doors in the typical Marine fashion. Sid guessed that something annoying was about to happen and she subtlety tapped her omni-tool without needing to look at it.

"While you are a part of this crew, I expect you to follow my orders and I also expect you to keep any illegal activities to a minimum," Jo ordered. "This is an extremely important mission and I will not have my authority questioned."

Sid raised an eyebrow at the sudden authority in the room…well, elevator. She was quite surprised by how much Jo had changed. "Anything else?"

"Any information that is important or relevant to our mission that you are able to find, I want you to inform me of it immediately or if I am not on the _Normandy_, at the first available moment. Even if it seems inconsequential or if something pops up in the fine print, let me know and I'll judge its worth."

"Even if I get said information illegally?" Sid challenged with a raised eyebrow.

Jo sighed in frustration. "Do you have to be so impossible?" Sid opened her mouth to answer but Jo cut her off. "Let me guess: it's all part of your charm."

"If you say so," Sid replied with a mischievous smile and then turned strangely serious. "I was only asking to make sure that if C-Sec found out I was using channels that aren't strictly legal to help this mission that you would vouch for me. Otherwise, it might prove somewhat problematic to get the charges against me dropped or even avoid going to jail, especially after the lecture Executor Pallin gave me before we left."

"As long as no one gets hurt and it will bring down Saren and his geth, then I will take responsibility if it comes up," Jo promised. "Satisfied?"

Sid brought up her omni-tool and tapped it a few more times as they exited the elevator. Then she looked at Jo. "Yep."

"What were you-? Did you record me?" Jo demanded, mildly offended.

"It never hurts to be careful. Besides, as long as you keep your side of the deal, this is just a formality."

Jo crossed her arms across her chest. "Do you trust me so little, Sid?"

Even though it was not her intention, she had offended Jo nevertheless her double standards were starting to get annoying. It was clear that Jo didn't trust Sid either and, while in the interrogation room, she had given a lecture about taking responsibility yet Jo had not done anything of the sort as far as Sid was concerned.

Sid scoffed. "And this is coming from the person who feels the need to expressly order me to not do anything illegal unless it helps your mission? Despite the fact that those were the terms I accepted before Executor Pallin released me into your custody? And don't think I didn't notice you watching me very closely to make sure I put all of my weapons in that locker either. You trust me as much as I trust you." She paused to let her point sink in. "Seriously, Jo, don't take it personally. I don't trust anyone. _Especially_ not the people who hire me. It's kept me alive this long and I'm not going to take the risk just because we used to be close a long time ago."

Jo was silent for a few moments and Sid had no idea what she was thinking. Jo was always good at keeping her thoughts from her face – perhaps one of her traits that made her a good leader – but it made it hard for Sid to get a read on her sister. Usually, she could watch the body language of the people she was dealing with to gain some insight into what they were thinking. Now, she had no idea what to expect from the Commander – it was pretty obvious that she was dealing with the soldier within Jo – and it was a tad unsettling. Either something good was going to happen or something really bad.

"All right," Jo said at length although it seemed to be more to herself than to Sid. "You're as much a member of this crew as anyone else so you are free to move about the _Normandy _unrestricted. However, your weapons are to remain in the locker until you are ordered otherwise."

Sid had fully expected to be spending most of the mission confined to a single room however she refused to let her surprise show on her face as she watched Jo head back up the stairs – presumably to do some Commander-y stuff – and then she walked over to the large table in the Mess. The area was mostly empty, aside from a soldier fixing a control panel nearby and one or two stragglers still hanging around. They looked at Sid curiously and would whisper conspiratorially once she walked past, otherwise they showed no further acknowledgement of their mysterious new crew member.

This didn't bother her at all – her success on a job demanded that she stay in the shadows and she wasn't here to make friends either - as she used her omni-tool to try to gather more information for Jo. Even though Sid didn't quite approve of her situation, she was still going to do what she agreed to do. There may not be honour among thieves but smugglers always came through on their deals.

* * *

><p>Shepard drummed her fingers on her desk irritably. She was supposed to be finishing up her report for Admiral Hackett on the events that had transpired on the planet of Binthu. They had followed Admiral Kahoku's coordinates and had found three separate Cerberus facilities on the planet's surface. Despite her best efforts, she was too distracted to focus on it and her mostly empty screen seemed to be taunting her. It wasn't exactly her worst day ever although it certainly made her top five and things weren't quite going as planned, but that much was obvious when they had entered the first Cerberus facility on Binthu. To try to calm herself and maybe find a way to continue her report, Shepard decided to take a few moments to think about what had happened.<p>

It all started with her conversation she had with Sid when they first returned to the _Normandy._ After talking to Sydney for such a short time, Shepard found it hard to believe that they were able to peacefully co-habitat for the thirteen years before...well, before they went their separate ways. She was pretty sure that her little sister hadn't been that sarcastic while growing up and the trust issues were certainly new. She found it hard to believe that her computer nerd of a little sister was now this sarcastic smuggler who didn't seem to care about what she did to get her credits or how it would affect the lives of others. Smuggling weapons for a terrorist organisation, for example, would not end peacefully and Sid didn't seem to care.

The sarcasm, Shepard could deal with but the lack of trust could prove problematic. The entire mission depended on a crew that could work well together and that would only happen if they all trusted each other, no matter what. Most of the crew were already suspicious of Liara because her mother was working for Saren and Shepard doubted the presence of another untrustworthy (for completely different reasons) crew member would ease tensions. So, for the sake of the mission and the crew, Shepard decided to keep Sid's background on a strictly "need to know" basis and, as far as she was concerned, no one needed to know. The others would probably resent her for it but she would deal with that when it came. Ashley was also proving problematic with her attitudes towards aliens although forcing her to work with Wrex and Garrus was easing tensions. No need to potentially make things worse.

Then Shepard considered her relationship with Sid. She wanted to help her little sister – out of guilt and a sense of responsibility – but, despite what she told herself, she didn't quite trust Sid. Perhaps it was the fact that she had no idea what Sid had been up to for the last thirteen years (and she wasn't exactly forthcoming with the information) and how she had managed to survive Mindoir. It was also suspicious that Shepard hadn't received so much as a letter or any form of communication from her and then she resurfaces in a C-Sec interrogation room, handcuffed to a chair with a stolen ship in her possession. Or maybe it had something to do with Sid moonlighting as an infamous smuggler called Ghost that a lot of people wanted dead and C-Sec wanted arrested. Her dealings with organisations such as Cerberus and that she operated in the Terminus Systems, among other places, could also have a small part in it. Or possibly her disregard for the consequences of her actions and only caring about the credits played a part.

No, Shepard decided, it was all of the above combined.

While the _Normandy_ was en route to Binthu, Shepard had spent some time trying to figure out why Sid wouldn't have tried to contact her and how she had survived. Shepard had been lucky at the time and was able to get to the Marines, her parents not so much. Hell, she didn't even know where Sid was when the Batarians attacked. As far as Shepard knew, as soon as the Alliance was done sorting out the chaos that was Mindoir, her parents and her siblings had been declared dead. She didn't question it; she accepted the news and tried to move on with her life. But Sid's silence still bothered her. It was true that Sid didn't get along with their parents; she disliked being told what to do and preferred to spend her time on her computer, not out socialising or chipping in on the farm. She was also regarded as a troublemaker at school which further added to the arguments at home. Was that reason enough to disappear without trying to talk to Shepard? No one on board the _Normandy_ even knew that she had a sister, never mind the fact that said sister was their newest crew member AND a wanted smuggler.

And yet, she couldn't give a definite reason why she was keeping her relation to Sid a secret.

At first, it had been because everyone thought that Sydney was dead. A lot of people had died on Mindoir and many others had suffered a worse fate, like Talitha. It seemed like a reasonable conclusion at the time and there wasn't any evidence that might possibly indicate that Sid was alive somewhere so there was no reason to continue looking. Bringing her up just seemed like an unnecessary way to reopen old wounds and Shepard always tried her hardest to avoid talking or thinking about Mindoir. If someone asked her about it, she would give short answers and change the subject as soon as possible. It was not a happy point in her life and she avoided it as best as she could which was why no one knew she had a sister. It was just out of habit, Shepard reasoned, and at the moment, there was no reason why she should break that habit, especially when she knew nothing of the young woman.

And then there was Sid's assumption about Admiral Kahoku. Someone who was so highly regarded and successful within the Alliance would not break the law, even though his men had been murdered. Cerberus may be a secret organisation but they had been labelled as terrorists so it seemed likely that someone would know where they could be found…without breaking the law. Assuming that was the only way to get such information was unfair and offensive. The admiral may have been stonewalled by the Alliance and the Council but with a long career such as his, he probably had contacts he could call or favours that were owed so he could get the information he needed.

Finally, there was the mission itself. Cerberus had been doing all sorts of weird experiments with Rachni workers, a Rachni solider and some weird looking green zombie things. Where they managed to get Rachni was a mystery, considering they were wiped out many years ago. Cerberus had also killed Admiral Kahoku using some sort of drug and then tried to use the experiments to cover up his murder. Tali had managed to hack one of the terminals but the only information she could gather before the hard drives wiped themselves was the location of another facility on the planet of Nepheron in the Columbia system.

Shepard closed her eyes with a sigh and used her fingers to massage the sides of her forehead in an effort to ease some of the tension she could feel building. Admiral Hackett wasn't expecting her report until she had solid evidence of Cerberus activities and their link to the missing Marines. Cerberus wasn't making it easy to establish this link. Despite that, Shepard still wanted to get some of it done while the details were still fresh. However her mind would not cooperate and she continued to stare at her terminal blankly as the words refused to form. It wouldn't be much longer until they reached Nepheron so it seemed like a sensible time to give up.

_I'm not giving up_ Shepard corrected herself. _Shepards never give up, no matter what. I'm just putting it on hold until I get all of the facts straight._

Satisfied with her reasoning, Shepard got to her feet and exited her office (she had only recently gotten into the habit of referring to it as such and not as 'Captain Anderson's office'). It seemed to be a good time to have a chat with Sid – one that didn't involve handcuffs or recordings – so she headed down the stairs to try to track her down. She didn't have to go far because Sid was sitting at the strangely empty Mess table. Sid was sitting with her back towards the Med Lab so Shepard took a seat opposite her. Her eyes flicked in the direction of a certain lieutenant and she watched him working on the control panel for a few moments. He was obsessed with getting the thing working and rarely left it. Sid's attention was wholly fixated on her omni-tool and whatever information she had found…or so it appeared.

"It's a distraction, you know," Sid commented casually, not even looking up.

Shepard jumped slightly but quickly composed herself and looked at her sister. "What is?"

"Romance," Sid answered simply.

Shepard was caught off guard and was struck speechless. Not only was it odd to be receiving romantic advice from her little sister – and it wasn't exactly reassuring advice either - Sid hadn't exactly been on the _Normandy_ that long so if she had noticed Shepard and Kaidan's mutual attraction, had the rest of the crew?

"I…don't know what you're talking about," Shepard replied carefully, hoping it was enough to change the topic.

Sid smirked at some unknown joke and then looked at Shepard. "Suddenly, I think I understand Executor Pallin's scepticism."

Even though the joke was now known, Shepard was even more puzzled. What did the Executor have to do with any of this?

"I believe that my denial was as about convincing as yours," Sid explained and then she was silent for a moment. "Nah, mine was _definitely_ more convincing," she decided.

That certainly didn't bode well considering Shepard didn't believe Sid's denial for a second. Her worry must have shown on her face because Sid's smirk slowly faded.

"Relax, Jo. I read people for a living and it's saved my life more than once. Besides, from what I gather, people either are too afraid of you or respect you too much to accuse you of anything or say anything bad about you. They would prefer to simply look in the other direction and pretend that nothing is happening."

"How do you figure that?" Shepard asked, confused again but slightly smug. It felt good to know that her crew had her back, especially after how Captain Anderson was manipulated off of the _Normandy_.

Sid smiled again. "Well, according to the numerous rumours circulating on this ship in the short time I've been here, I'm a spy working on behalf of Saren or the Council, depending on who you ask. I'm an assassin sent to kill Liara or possibly Garrus because, apparently, only assassins use knives. I was sent by the Council to sabotage this mission so humanity will never gain its place within the galaxy, despite the fact that I'm a human too. I'm an agent for the Shadow Broker sent to gather information on the design of this ship. There was also another one involving pirates but I didn't quite catch it."

"Hmmmm," Shepard said thoughtfully. "That is quite the résumé."

"Indeed," Sid agreed. "But despite their suspicions, your crew wouldn't question your decision to bring me on board or why you have given me free roam of the ship. Apparently, I'm suspicious. However, I doubt you came all this way to discuss your love life or my rather fanciful motives for being here."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. She wanted to argue that 'all this way' involved walking down a flight of stairs but decided against it. "When we get to Nepheron, I expect you to be a part of the ground squad."

All signs of amusement disappeared from Sid's face and a careful mask of neutrality replaced it. "Why?"

"Their computers are heavily encrypted. Even though Tali is a tech genius, even she could barely get any information before the system wiped itself. We need all of the information we can get against Cerberus and you are our best bet," Shepard explained honestly.

Sid was silent as she considered this. Her mask did not falter for even a second as Shepard watched her sister apprehensively. She could always order Sid to come along but that would just cause problems in the future. Besides, if Sid agreed and the mission turned out to be successful, it would go a long way because the crew would start trusting her…or maybe they would regard her with less suspicion. It would also be a good opportunity to see just what she was capable of doing.

"You do realise what you're asking?" Sid asked at length. "And I'm not just referring to my preference for non-violence. If word gets out that I'm working for a Spectre who belongs to the Alliance, a lot of people will want to kill me...well, even more people, I should say."

Shepard hadn't even considered that but the nuances of criminal life escaped her. "But you're not helping me bring down crime syndicates."

"No but that's not the point. It's the principle," Sid clarified. "If it gets out that I'm working with the authorities - even once and completely unrelated - then I am seen as a snitch and a traitor so they'll come after me. Or, as is the norm, they'll put a bounty on my head so mercenaries and bounty hunters will come after me. You know the saying 'dead or alive'? That doesn't apply to snitches."

"As long as you're a part of my crew, Sid, they won't be able to touch you," Shepard promised.

"Well, that's reassuring."

It was hard to tell whether Sid was being sarcastic or not.

"If this was going to happen, then why did you agree to join us?" Shepard asked.

Sid shrugged. "It's a better alternative than jail. Besides, quite a few people already want me dead."

Shepard was confused again. For someone whose life was in danger, Sid was rather unconcerned and she also knew it was going to happen so it made little sense as to why she would agree in the first place. Maybe she had expected to stay on the _Normandy_ as Shepard only mentioned that she would be collecting information. It seemed like a logical explanation. Then again, there wasn't anything logical about Sid or the way she thought about things. Her line of thinking had always been different, sometimes she had brilliant ideas or her ideas confused _everyone_.

Sid must have misunderstood the reason for Shepard's confusion. "I'll join your squad."

"Great," Shepard answered, still a bit distracted. "We'll be arriving shortly so you may want to gear up."


	3. Chapter 3

**I included Sid's birthday. For those of you who don't know, Commander Shepard was born on the 11****th**** of April 2154 so Sid is 3 years younger. As for the actual date, I figured it would be fitting as it is the date when the **_**Mass Effect 3**_** demo releases.**

**Chapter 3**

Sid climbed into the Mako and slid across the seat so whoever came in next could get in easily. Somehow, she had managed to be the first person to arrive. Even though Sid made a point to be punctual, she didn't like being the first one to arrive. It gave others the chance to size her up and possibly gain the advantage, depending on the situation. Usually, she preferred to have that advantage. But now that she was first, she was at a loss of what to do so she double checked her gear. Her pistol was on her left hip and her knife for this job was strapped to her right thigh. The black belt with the shield generators - that also doubled as her gun holster - was functioning and emitting a moderately strong shield. Sid's preferred style of fighting usually involved relying on evasion so her shields weren't that important to her. A few small round objects that could easily fit into the palm of a hand were also hooked onto her belt in small pouches.

With nothing left to check, she started to fidget. The minutes dragged by until the door opened and Lieutenant Alenko climbed into the Mako. He seemed surprised to find Sid already waiting there but he said nothing. The entire crew was curious about Sid yet they refused to ask her any questions, as if they expected her to shoot them out of annoyance. It was also pretty obvious that they had been kept in the dark about her relation to their fearless leader. Sid didn't mind that Jo kept it to herself, it certainly made her life easier. No impossible standards to be compared to, no painful questions about their history and no assumptions about how Jo became a Spectre while Sid led a life of crime. However, the Lieutenant's obvious interest in Jo led Sid to expect some questions about their familiarity with each other and how Sid came to join the crew.

"I'm Kaidan," the young man abruptly introduced himself.

She suddenly remembered that this was their first time having a conversation. She only knew his name because she had heard other people mention him in idle conversation, mostly about his biotics. "You can call me Sid."

They politely shook hands and then descended back into awkward silence. Lieutenant Alenko was uncomfortable in the silence and was searching for some questions to ask to help pass the time. Sid, on the other hand, was quite at home with the awkwardness. It was usually very telling the way people fidgeted and helped gauge how they worked under pressure. It was also a good way to learn their tells – for poker or when they were lying about something.

"What is it that you do?" Lieutenant Alenko asked politely. It was a reasonable question, given the varied backgrounds of all non-Alliance crew members and that they would be working together for the duration of Jo's mission.

Sid regarded Kaidan for a moment before answering. "I assist anonymous persons or parties that require their possessions to be safely and professionally relocated without needing to deal with the bureaucracy of port authorities."

She sat in silent amusement as she watched Kaidan try to figure out what exactly she had just said. The look of dawning comprehension was subtle but still worth it.

"Wait, you're a _smuggler_?"

Sid shrugged. "If you want to be simplistic about it, I suppose that's one way of putting it."

"But you don't see yourself as a smuggler?" Kaidan guessed.

Coming from him, the question was unexpected however that did not mean she was unprepared for it. "Not at all. Some refer to those within the profession as scoundrels and while it might be appealing to the man folk, I find the term to be demeaning. I am simply an invisible wanderer of space who just happens to make my services available for money."

Kaidan's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "And the authorities believe this?"

Sid smirked. "What they believe doesn't matter. It's what they can prove." She paused for a moment. "And they can't prove anything."

Kaidan shifted in his seat uncomfortably. At first, he seemed curious to be working with a smuggler. Now it was as if working with an intelligent and careful criminal was suddenly unnerving. Sid found his discomfort to be confusing. At the very least, he should take some comfort in the fact that she was good at what she did and, for the moment, they were on the same side. It wasn't as if she was an insane serial killer. She wasn't about to start an argument with him though. The less anyone knew about the way she operated, the better. Sid glanced at the young man beside her and, judging his expression, he still had questions that he wanted to ask her. Before he could voice them, Jo arrived and took her place in the driver's seat.

When Sid noticed where she was sitting, she quickly buckled herself in and took a few moments to test the seatbelts. They weren't as strong as she would have liked but they would have to do for the time being. It wasn't as if she walked around with spare seatbelts in her pockets. Kaidan was giving her a weird look. Sid ignored him for the time being because she remembered the driving lessons back home and she wasn't taking any chances. Her actions went unnoticed by Jo, however, as she prepared for the Mako to be dropped. It wasn't long until they were cruising along the surface of Nepheron. Jo still believed that there was no mountain too high and no hole too deep to drive through. If all else failed, Sid supposed that if they needed a suspect to talk, they could always subject them to endure Jo's driving.

Soon, a large facility loomed on the horizon and it definitely looked out of place. Sid would have guessed that it was abandoned until turrets and guns started to fire at them. Between Jo's driving and the Mako's shields absorbing the shots from the turrets, Sid and Kaidan were jostled quite a bit in the back. It didn't take Lieutenant Alenko long to spring into action and take over the Mako's own turret. Sid decided to make herself useful and used the turret's targeting systems to call out the location of enemies for the lieutenant. The Cerberus personnel were no match for the Mako's superior firepower but Sid disapproved of the targeting systems. It was a bit sluggish at times and failed to take into account minor height differences on the ground. A few shots even went wide or narrowly missed. She doubted it was the lieutenant's fault. That would need to be tweaked at some point but that was a problem for another time.

Once silence followed their last rocket, Jo parked perpendicular to the facility, just off to the side of the only door. Jo, Kaidan and Sid clambered out of the Mako. It was hard to do so and keep your dignity intact. Sid had never been so happy to feel solid ground beneath her feet before and after a few steps, she took the lead. She used her omni-tool to bypass the doors. It didn't take long and she was almost disappointed by how easy it had been. Either they were an extremely arrogant terrorist organisation or their security was much better inside the facility. Even though she hoped for the former, she knew it would be likely to be the latter.

Jo took the lead again once the doors silently opened. The first room was empty and they used it to prepare themselves for the firefight that they all knew was coming. Even if Cerberus didn't know they were there, they soon would and it was doubtful they would be welcome. Jo took out her assault rifle, Sid her pistol which she used both hands to keep steady and Kaidan drew his own pistol but kept his left hand free in case they needed a biotic attack to help even the odds. Sid easily opened the next door and they followed the corridor, carefully placing one foot in front of another so they didn't make any noise and prematurely alert the Cerberus personnel to their presence. Although how they didn't realize their base was under attack with the amount of explosions that went on outside, Sid couldn't understand. Maybe the base just had really good soundproofing?

Jo nodded to Sid once she and Kaidan were in position and the younger Shepard opened the door. The Cerberus personnel in the room ahead seemed to be well trained and opened fire immediately as soon as the doors opened. Sid and Kaidan took cover behind the opened door and Jo was a little bit further ahead, using a crate for cover. There were some snipers attacking from a distance however a clear shot of them was impossible as they kept ducking behind their own cover. The others, Commandos by the look and fighting style of them, kept them on their toes. Sid started to get bored of this and holstered her pistol. This received an accusing look from Jo and an indignant expression from Kaidan. Jo's unspoken accusation offended Sid. Apparently, as soon as someone found out that Sid was a smuggler, then she was going to betray them. Rather than scoff or start an argument in the middle of a firefight, she chose to remain silent and reached into one of her pockets instead.

She pulled a round flat disk from her belt. It was a few inches thick and looked as though it could fit comfortably in the palm of her hand, bearing a strong resemblance to a smooth, slightly thick pebble. There was a simple switch on top and, once Sid activated it with her thumb, a small red light lit up just next to the switch. Sid leant around her cover and tossed the disk so it slid across the floor, coming to a stop just in front of a pair of Commandos. They looked down at the device to make sure it wasn't a grenade as the red light flashed quickly. Once the timer ran out, there was a soft beep and then…nothing. The Commandos started to laugh but they were quickly cut off by a high pitched sound and their shield generators exploded, stunning them momentarily. Sid took out her pistol and fired two shots in quick succession, killing them instantly.

Kaidan and Jo looked at Sid in surprise. The fact that the shot in the back that they were obviously expecting turned out to be a tactic to help them did not factor into their thought processes. Sid gave them a half shrug in response although she was slightly distracted while she thought about the minor bug in her device. Nevertheless, it did its job and it provided them with an opening which allowed them to move forward and find better cover. There were still three Commandos and three snipers left. Even though they had lost two team members, there was no gap in their defense. They clearly had some superior training, compared to the previous Cerberus personnel they had encountered that just ran around in circles firing their weapons, which led Sid to try to even the odds a bit again.

She reached into another small pouch that was attached to her belt, just behind her holster, and pulled out a small grey ball. It looked to be completely unremarkable in every way possible. Sid tightened her grip on her pistol with her left hand and, with her right hand, tossed the orb in the direction of the Cerberus personnel and fired at it when it was close enough. When it was hit, the orb exploded into a large cloud of thick, black smoke. The personnel started to cough and they had trouble seeing anything. This gave Jo and Kaidan the advantage they needed and, following Sid's example, opened fire on the flailing enemies. Apparently, the panic that rose with the inability to breathe would overcome any need to hide behind cover or return fire. The remaining Commandos and one sniper went down in a matter of moments once their shields went down.

Sydney had no idea how to take down the last two snipers. Her other devices still needed a lot of testing and weren't quite ready for this sort of situation. The knife was also useless for the same reason as her pistol: the snipers had some excellent cover. Jo, however, had come up with a plan and quickly gave Sid and Kaidan orders, using quick hand signals. There was hesitation in Jo's eyes and Sid realized that her sister wasn't sure if Sid would understand the hand gestures. There was obvious relief on her face when Sid nodded in understanding. Kaidan also nodded while Jo retreated and joined the biotic behind his cover.

Sid moved closer and aimed her pistol at the closest spot to where she guessed the snipers were and opened fire on the crates. They were still too well protected for Sid to actually hit them but, if anything, she was doing a perfect job of distracting them. Jo and Kaidan were careful to remain behind cover just in case they were spotted as they circled around so they appeared behind the snipers. While they were still distracted by Sid's suppressing fire, Jo and Kaidan started to shoot at them. Taken by surprise, they weren't able to properly defend themselves and they, too, were killed. Once they were certain that all the Cerberus personnel were dead, Sid emerged from her cover and went to retrieve her device. She picked it up and carefully examined it.

"Note to self: investigate the delay between timer and detonation," she murmured to herself.

Kaidan and Jo left their cover too as she spoke to herself. With a simple gesture, Jo ordered Sid and Kaidan to head down the only other corridor there. The corridor then formed a T-junction with a room to the left and another room to the right. They investigated the room to the right first. There were a few upgrades for their weapons that had been left lying around and they were able to replenish their supply of medi-gel from a dispenser near the door. After making sure there was nothing else of interest, they made their way to the last room. At the far side of the room was a computer terminal which Jo ordered Sid to investigate.

Sid approached the terminal and cautiously pressed a few buttons which resulted in a lot of frantic beeping. That usually didn't bode well and occasionally resulted in some or other hidden defense system to trigger, such as the room filling up with gas. She was not looking forward to experiencing that again so it did take her a few moments to realize that nothing of the sort was happening now. Once she released the breath she was holding, stepped closer to the terminal to investigate the source of the beeping.

"Dammit!" Sid cursed once she made sense of what the computer was doing. The console continued to beep and she continued to push buttons in a hurried manner.

"What's wrong?" Jo demanded as she and Kaidan approached for a closer look, although Sid doubted there was anything worth seeing, aside from lines of text flashing on the screen.

Sydney's omni-tool lit up, clearly receiving the files from the terminal. "The system is flashing itself," she answered irritably. Then, once she remembered that Jo didn't speak Geek, she simplified. "It's a security measure that deletes all the files on the system. I'm doing what I can to stall and download as many of the files as possible but they're also encrypted. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to download."

"Just get what you can. We'll worry about the encryption later," Jo ordered.

Her fingers continued to glide across the keys. Jo was impressed that her sister was able to keep such a cool head and probably would have told her if she wasn't so busy at the moment. Jo and Kaidan could do nothing other than stand behind Sid and watch in confusion. Kaidan had some skill with computers but everything he was seeing now was way over his head, if the frown on his face was any indication. After a few more minutes, Sid's typing stopped as did all sounds coming from the terminal. The screen faded to black and Sid's omni-tool stopped glowing. The room was suddenly very quiet. Sid pressed a few more keys on her omni-tool to see how much she was able to download.

"By the looks of it, I was able to download a good portion of the files, maybe just over half of what was on the system. Their encryption is pretty sophisticated though," Sid informed them, somewhat impressed with the level of security. These files must be important.

Jo folded her arms across her chest. "Can you crack it?"

"Maybe," she answered with a shrug. "If I had access to an advanced computer and if I had a few months with nothing else to do. I'm sure the Alliance could decrypt the files." She considered her words and then added "Probably."

"Well, that's reassuring," Jo answered sarcastically.

Sid raised an eyebrow. "They're a terrorist organisation, Jo. Did you honestly expect them to not protect some potentially incriminating evidence?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Sid could see Kaidan look from Jo to her and then back to Jo. Apparently, it wasn't every day that the fearless Commander Jo Shepard was struck speechless, especially by a smuggler that no one trusted or knew anything about. When they both realized that Sid had won their little argument, Jo led the way out of the facility, suddenly annoyed. Sid guessed that her crew members didn't usually argue with her or give her smartass responses.

* * *

><p>Shortly thereafter, they were back on the <em>Normandy<em>. Shepard made her way back to her quarters so she could finish her report for Admiral Hackett. Now that she had all of the facts, it was much easier to complete it. As she finished it, she remembered that Sid still had the Cerberus files. Absently, she wondered if the smuggler was working some angle and planned to sell the files to the highest bidder. This line of thinking was suddenly interrupted when there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Shepard ordered and the doors hissed open.

Sid raised an eyebrow again. "'Enter'? Way to make someone feel welcome."

"Well, if someone interrupts me while I'm working, I hope they have a good reason for it and therefore they don't need to feel welcome. Besides, this is an Alliance vessel. Not a pleasure cruise."

Sid was unconvinced. "Compared to some of the ships I've been on, this definitely qualifies as a pleasure cruise."

Shepard stared at Sid for a few moments. Was she intentionally trying her patience? "Is there something I can do for you?"

Sid regarded Shepard before adopting a very professional posture. "When we returned, you didn't give me a chance to give you the files I got from the Cerberus facility. It took me some time to find an empty datapad so I had to borrow one from Dr Chakwas. She would like it back as soon as you're finished with it."

Sid then handed Shepard the datapad. Shepard spent a few moments briefly scanning over the files and, as far as she could tell, they were all there. Then again, Sid was the only one who knew how many files had actually been downloaded and could probably delete any evidence of further copying.

"How do I know that you didn't keep a copy of these files for yourself?" Shepard asked suspiciously.

Sid was not surprised by the accusation. "What exactly do you expect me to do with them?" she challenged.

"I don't know, Sid. I'm not the criminal here. Maybe sell the files to the highest bidder or use them as leverage?"

Her suggestions seemed to amuse Sid. "That's assuming I could even break the encryption and that the files are actually useful. All joking aside, Jo, I didn't keep a copy for myself. As you said, I am a criminal and a smuggler nevertheless that doesn't make me a traitor as using those files for anything would be considered treason. Despite my history working for Cerberus, I am not a terrorist and do not share their beliefs."

Shepard was surprised. Why would Sid know that? It wasn't exactly relevant to smuggling.

Sid shrugged. "If I'm going to break the law on a regular basis then I may as well take the time to learn which ones I am breaking and the ones to stay away from. I rather enjoy living and would hate to die for someone else's cause."

"Is there any way to prove what you say?" Shepard asked, getting back to the point.

"You do realize that at some point you have to take what I say with a bit of faith?" Sid queried.

"And would this be one of those times?"

"And you say I'm impossible," Sid muttered under her breath and then sighed. "Yes, it would be."

Shepard and Sid regarded each other in silence. The Commander was trying to decide if it was worth it to trust Sid and how much she would lose if she did and Sid turned out to be lying. Sid didn't seem like the type of person who would commit treason. Then again, Shepard would have thought her little sister wasn't the type of person who would break the law either.

"All right, Sid. For old times' sake, I'll trust what you say this time," Shepard replied. "But if it turns out you lied to me, I will not hesitate to bring the full force of the law down on you."

Sid whistled in amazement. "As fun as that sounds, the threat is unnecessary. I entered into an agreement with you, Jo, and I will do nothing that could potentially break that agreement. I have a lot to lose and little to gain, it's true, but I will not do anything to jeopardise it otherwise I will lose everything and gain nothing. A smuggler always honours her agreements."

Sid certainly did have a point. However, if she was confident that she wouldn't get caught, then none of her words mattered. Apparently, she had said everything that she felt needed saying and left the room without another word, leaving Shepard alone once again. It didn't take much time for the report to be finished and sent to the Fifth Fleet, even with the large volume of files to upload. Shepard vaguely wondered if they had a better shot of decrypting the files if Sid handled it and not the Alliance analysts. Her skill with anything computer-related would definitely outshine the experience of Alliance veterans. That much had been true for years. But her loyalties were in question and so it couldn't be risked, especially with an organisation that Sid had admitted to accepting a job from was involved.

With all business done, Shepard realized that she was a bit curious about what Sydney had been up to the past few years. She had a hard time believing how much she had changed. Perhaps the Alliance's database on the victims of Mindoir could shed some light on what had happened. Sydney's file was outdated, Shepard was hardly surprised. There was a picture of Sydney when she was thirteen, the last picture they had before the Batarians attacked. Shepard was a bit surprised that they hadn't updated it since Executor Pallin was able to put two and two together. Perhaps there was also the possibility that he kept it secret, waiting for Shepard to inform the Alliance, and as a Spectre, her decisions took priority even over the Executor's suggestions. She quickly scanned the information.

_Name: Sydney Rebecca Shepard_

_Date of Birth: 14 February 2157_

_Date of Death: 2170 (at age 13), during Batarian raid on Mindoir. Exact date unknown due to large numbers of casualties._

_Cause of Death: Unknown. Remains were never recovered. Assumed to be dead due to lack of contradicting evidence._

_Next of Kin:_

_Mr Henri Shepard – Father (deceased)_

_Dr Addison Shepard – Mother (deceased)_

_Mr Dax Shepard – Brother (deceased)_

_Commander Jocelyn Shepard - Sister_

_Occupation: Not applicable_

_Current whereabouts: Not applicable_

_Education: Junior high school; achieved exceptional test scores, most notably in Computer Sciences and Advanced Mathematics. Did not graduate._

_Notes: Would make an excellent addition to Alliance analysts or perhaps Engineering Corps_

_Could prove useful in researching future decryption programs_

_Lack of social ties and a habit of walking around past curfew warrants observation_

Shepard sighed in frustration. Somehow Sydney had managed to disappear completely and remain hidden, even from the Alliance's sight. Even though she had expected the Alliance files to have little information, she had hoped there would be a little bit more than what she already knew. And if the Alliance had nothing, then it was safe to assume that no one else would have any other information. Shepard was about to give up when another thought occurred to her.

Ghost.

So she did a general extranet search and was surprised by the sheer number of results. Apparently Ghost was quite the popular topic among conspiracy theorists, the majority of whom identified the smuggler as a male superspy – some said human, others said Turian. A Salarian blogger even had a theory that Ghost was a trained spy dispatched by the Human Systems Alliance in an effort to get weapons to their spies located on various planets. Another blogger, Volus this time, was convinced Ghost didn't even exist and that the story was conjured up by security companies to get more work. Shepard almost burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. To certain groups, Ghost was a nuisance and to others, a myth. And judging from various reports, there were also many imposters whose skill just couldn't live up to the reputation and were either easily arrested or killed. These imposters helped keep Ghost's identity anonymous because no one knew who the real Ghost was until the job had been completed.

And there was a surprising lack of reliable information, either from reporters or official statements that had been released by the Alliance, C-Sec and other authorities. It appeared that Ghost was an apt name. Even the few official statements that Shepard could find had very little information. Ghost had managed to evade blockades and escape a couple of ambushes designed for capture as though she knew they were there and had expected them. There were also a few mentions of her ship which had been named _The Machine_ for some odd reason. Shepard made a mental note to ask Sid about that one. There were also some reports that mentioned Ghost using other ships that either exploded or led the authorities on a wild goose chase until it ran out of fuel and revealed itself to be empty and controlled by a basic VI.

There was something that really confused Shepard: if Sid had her own ship, why did she need to steal the other ship that got her arrested by C-Sec? Ghost had done an excellent job of avoiding arrest so this seemed like a sloppy mistake that would attract C-Sec's question added to the list.

Even the official reports seemed to be mainly made up of speculation as no two reports had the same information, apart from a few minor things. The majority recognised that Ghost always seemed to get an early warning of any official moves made against her; she had superior understanding of how the Alliance operated; there was never any evidence left behind that could implicate her or connect her to other crimes; no one had been able to identify her and she had a ship named _The Machine_. Otherwise, they assumed that Ghost was male and there was some argument about what species she was, there was even a theory that she was a Batarian slaver.

The authorities had no DNA, no fingerprints and no identity. Even the ship had been bought through an alias that led nowhere and the registration was bogus, incriminating a corporation in Asari space that had no records of the ship. Shepard had to admit that Sid was good at what she did. And she knew how to keep a secret. Either that meant Shepard could trust her or it just meant Sid was a _really_ good liar. Shepard now knew a tiny bit more than before and it didn't help her at all. She had more questions than answers and the only way they would get answered would be by asking Sid, who would either shrug them off with humour or probably fabricate some lie. Maybe answers would come with time so Shepard decided to wait and see what would happen. Perhaps if she backed off for a while, Sid would offer the answers of her own free will. It was certainly worth a try.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sid was sitting at the table in the Mess and the immediate area was empty as was the norm now – the crew was still avoiding her for whatever reason, probably worried she would overhear something she shouldn't. Her eyes were staring suspiciously at the plate of gunk in front of her: it was white and had a unique texture that she couldn't describe. For the past ten minutes, she had been trying to figure out what exactly it was made of and how on Earth the Alliance survived on this stuff, whatever it was. The chair opposite her was suddenly occupied and she looked up to find Jo.

"You're better off not knowing what it is," Jo commented with a small smile.

Sid didn't reply immediately. She was deciding whether to be grossed out by what she was eating or shocked that Jo actually made an attempt at a joke. Maybe this was a new interrogation technique. She hadn't asked any questions for a couple of days.

"How do you Marines survive on this stuff? Is part of basic training how to torture your taste buds?" she asked and scooped up some of the food on her fork.

"That's kind of the point," Jo replied and then noticed Sid's confusion. "Not about basic training. The bit about surviving. That there's all the nutrients and vitamins a person needs to survive in a single serving."

"Uh huh," Sid said, unconvinced and watched as it plopped from her fork to her plate. "I think they missed an important part of it."

"Oh?" Jo asked, intrigued. "What would that be?"

"Flavour."

Sid looked up from her plate and noticed Jo was amused by what she said for the first time. It was good to know that a sense of humour still existed. Yet, she had a feeling that she couldn't take all the credit for making Commander Jo Shepard smile. She quickly glanced over Jo's shoulder at Lieutenant Alenko. There was also a slow change happening in him too that went unnoticed by most. Sid had only noticed it because she enjoyed watching people. He was more willing to talk to other people, for one, and he didn't always take the seat furthest from other people. Sid figured there was some connection there, most likely in the form of the long post-mission chats that everyone shrugged off as a discussion over tactics and how it could have gone better. There had to be more to the long talks which scuttlebutt was suspiciously ignorant of.

"Why is it you never stay in one place?" Jo asked suddenly and Sid's attention snapped back to the present.

There was a mixture of annoyance and curiosity in her voice. Sid realized that Jo never had to chase down any of the other crew members when she wanted to talk with them because Lieutenant Alenko was either fixing the same control panel (it was unreasonable to expect a prototype to be perfect but come on – the same control panel?); Liara hardly ventured out of the Med Lab because she was either studying the Protheans or the rest of the crew had yet to warm up to her and the others remained in the Cargo Hold for some odd reason. Being a non-Alliance member on an Alliance ship certainly was intimidating. Then again, Sid was human and likely treated differently to how the aliens were treated so it did make a bit of sense if they preferred to stay in the Cargo Hold. It was a reasonable assumption. However that didn't mean she was going to make this little interrogation easy.

So she shrugged in response. "I get restless if I stay in one place too long. I expect you know the feeling, considering the longest you ever stay in one place is when you're writing your reports."

"This _is_ my ship," Jo retorted smoothly and then the penny dropped. "Wait. Have you been following me?"

Sid smiled. "Maybe. It's not like there's anything else to do on this ship. Besides, I didn't realise you Marines were so boring."

"Oh…I don't know," Jo started sarcastically. "Maybe you could try doing your job?"

Sid winced and placed her right hand over her heart. "You wound me, Jo."

Jo rolled her eyes. "Dramatic much?"

"You know, collecting Intel isn't as easy as you might think it is. I can't exactly open a communication channel with a guy and start a conversation. Hey man. _Whatsup, girl?_ Oh, nothing much. Sorry I accidently blew up your ship the last time we met. _Don't worry about it. Sorry I put a large bounty on your head in return._ Forget about it. I actually need a favour. _Of course, anything for my favouritest smuggler ever._ I need information on Saren._ That crazy bastard? I know he's gone rogue and is on the run with an army of Geth. _I already know that. I need information on his current location. _Sure, just give me 24 hours and I'll get back to you_. Thanks. _Cheers._"

As Sid delved into her monologue, she switched between her normal voice and a deeper voice to imitate a man, all the while Jo listened with a raised eyebrow and a you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me look.

When Sid noticed this look, she slowly asked "What?"

"In moments like these, I seriously question your sanity," Jo replied.

Sid was silent for a moment. "Strangely enough, you wouldn't be the first person to tell me that."

It was true. The majority of the people she worked with thought she was insane and it occasionally worked to her advantage. Who would want to double cross an insane person? It was also a good way to annoy interrogators or buy time to escape.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Jo asked rhetorically and shook her head. "You were making a point?"

"I was?" Sid asked and descended into silent thought, recounting the conversation. "Right. Yes. The point I was trying to make before you rudely interrupted me is collecting the information you need is not easy at all. Ignoring the fact that it takes some time for them to get back to me, the majority of people who would have this information want me dead so I either have to use aliases that I established years ago or ask a friend who then asks a friend who then asks a friend the favour which then takes even longer. And then I have to think up some smartass response to the oh so popular question of "Why are you interested in Saren?" because if I mention the words "Alliance", "Spectre" or "working together" in the same sentence, then I won't get any information and I'll likely get an even higher bounty on my head. I'm just _that_ popular."

"Clearly."

Sid smiled and looked down at her plate again, trying to decide if she was hungry enough to keep eating. Apparently, she had managed to master the art of annoying her sister in record time. It was a simple pleasure and she was pleased that it had not resulted in her getting shot by said annoyed sister…yet. After a few moments, she looked up again and found Jo watching her. Her smile slowly disappeared.

"If you have a question, Jo, go ahead and ask it," Sid said and received a sceptical look. "Hey, I said you could ask it. It doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to answer it."

"All right," Jo began slowly. "I did some checking into your files."

"I would be disappointed if you didn't," Sid answered.

"There's one thing that bugs me…"

"Just one?" Sid asked with a smirk.

Jo ignored that comment. "The day when…the Batarians attacked Mindoir, Dax and I were with Mom and Dad on the farm. Where were you?"

Sid was silent and her smirk had vanished. Her past was a touchy subject and she never spoke about it, not even when she was drunk. All of her feelings and memories had been buried by her trust issues and hidden behind a wall of jokes. Generally when people asked about her past, they often received non-serious half-truths that she didn't even try to pass off as genuine. Everyone eventually gave up asking. This time though, it wasn't some bounty hunter trying to out psych her or a nosy crew member asking too many questions. This time, it was her sister asking. Even if they weren't behaving as sisters now, they once had. So Sid decided to leave out a few things and she took a deep breath. This was not a fond memory.

"I don't know where I was," Sid admitted reluctantly.

"How could you not know where you were?" Jo demanded angrily.

"It was all a blur, I don't remember everything that happened," Sid answered quietly. "I remember I needed to go to the school to have a meeting with the principal."

Jo's jaw visibly clenched. "For what? Another detention? A disciplinary meeting?"

Sid looked at the table. Jo had no idea what happened and she wasn't even trying to find out Sid's side of the story, choosing to jump straight to the worst possible conclusion. She was more like their parents than she realized. But Sid wasn't going to waste her breath. She was just going to answer the questions she was asked. Nothing more and nothing less.

"I was on my way home from the school. I was maybe half way back when the raid started. At first, all I heard was the sirens. I had no idea what was happening. That's when people started to run around, screaming. Explosions soon followed and…I froze. Next thing I knew, I was being dragged along by some stranger. He pulled me into a building – it may have been a shop but I can't be sure – and we were able to hide out for a while. We could hear other people screaming, guns been fired and explosions. I don't know how long we stayed there for. I wanted to run home but I was scared. The Batarians eventually found us so we ran and we got separated. I kept running until I found another place to hide. I had to watch as the Batarians killed some people nearby so I didn't realize I was using a large piece of metal to hide me. Maybe some debris from an Alliance ship or something, I don't know. When I tried to move it, it was so hot that I burnt my fingers. The burns weren't treated properly so they never completely healed which is why I don't leave any fingerprints behind. Not all of us were lucky enough to be saved by the Alliance."

Sid looked up again and found Jo staring at her, apparently at a loss for words. They sat in silence for a few more moments. Sid wasn't in the talking mood anymore so she wasn't about to break it and Jo was still processing the new information, or so Sid assumed. It didn't match up with Jo's version of events so it might take a while, assuming she believed it. And there were still some blanks that Sid had intentionally left out.

"Commander, we've just entered the Attican Beta Cluster and Admiral Hackett wants to speak to you," Joker informed Jo over the communications system.

"Thanks, Joker, I'm on my way."

Sid watched Jo get to her feet and then leave, absently putting her fork in her mouth. For some odd reason, the gunk didn't taste so bad anymore. Maybe you had to be in a bad mood to appreciate it or maybe – this was the scary thought – she was just getting used to it.

* * *

><p>The Mako lurched violently as Shepard urged it to go up the side of a mountain. Usually, someone would have pointed out to her that there was probably an easier way around it that didn't involve their painful and fiery death but Sid was unusually quiet and Garrus seemed to have understood that the Commander was in a bad mood because he just sat there, awkwardly, looking between Shepard and Sid trying to figure out what had happened. Perhaps it had not been the smartest decision Shepard ever made to bring along an ex-C-sec investigator when she didn't want someone prying into her personal life but there was nothing she could do about it now.<p>

They were currently on the planet of Eletania in the Hercules system of the Attican Beta Cluster. Admiral Hackett had asked Shepard to look for the data module of a downed probe that was sent to gather information on the geth's movements. Time was of the essence because it was likely the geth were also after the data module which was why Shepard decided to bring Sid along. It was also possible that the Geth were responsible for shooting down the probe. Somehow she had managed to offend her sister and Shepard was also annoyed with her so they weren't exactly on speaking terms. Nevertheless, Sid would be their best bet in making sure the data module was still functioning quickly or to fix it if it was broken.

Sid's answers were completely unexpected. Shepard had no idea what to expect in answer but it certainly wasn't what she told her. There was still a lot of information missing, not that she could blame Sid. Shepard's sympathy didn't last long because she felt that Sid had been stupid to leave the farm in the first place. Sid had chores that she was expected to carry out and if she had been doing that instead of fooling around at school which led to the meeting with the principal, she could have been at home with them and could have been saved by the Alliance too. Instead, she just made one bad choice after another, letting everyone think she was dead. Had it all been some way to get back at Shepard for their troubled past? Or their parents, if she didn't know they had died in the attack too? Shepard had no idea. She still had so many other questions but she was too annoyed to ask them and she didn't like thinking about Mindoir either.

They eventually arrived at the spot where they were picking up the signal from the downed probe. Eletania was known to be a Level 1 Toxic Hazard so before they exited the Mako, they each put on their helmets. Shepard and Garrus had it easy because it was part of their armour. For Sid, it was somewhat more difficult. She deftly tied her hair back into a tight bun and then put on a breather mask that covered her nose and mouth. It looked uncomfortable but it would keep her from breathing in the toxic air. They exited the Mako quietly and walked over to the downed probe. Shepard went forward to investigate.

"The data module's gone," she said irritably. It was just their luck.

In response, Garrus walked forward and looked at the ground closest to the probe. "Based on these tracks, I'd say…it was stolen by a simian life form."

"You mean space monkeys?!" Sid asked in a ridiculously excited voice that should have belonged to a five year on Christmas morning and not an infamous smuggler trying to thwart a possible Geth attack. After a few moments, she composed herself and cleared her throat as if that would make the awkwardness disappear. "…I hear they're really funny looking."

A few more moments of silence followed this statement.

"Right," Shepard said uncomfortably and then continued in a more Commander-like fashion. "We'll need to track down as many of these…space monkeys as possible and search them for the data module. We can't leave the planet without it."

"According to my scans, there are at least four colonies," Sid answered, surprisingly helpful as she examined her omni-tool's display.

"Fantastic," Shepard muttered sarcastically as they returned to the Mako. This was going to take some time.

The first three colonies were investigated quickly and efficiently…aside from one incident when Sid picked one space monkey up and begged Shepard to keep it. Since Shepard refused, Sid had been sulking even more. Although the silence was enjoyable, Shepard wondered if it would affect Sid's work on the _Normandy_…not that she was doing much of that anyway. Shepard was also a bit unnerved at the obvious lack of geth. It was possible that they had beaten the geth here or they were about to walk into an ambush. The worst conclusion would be that the geth had already found the data module and left. Even though there were no signs of their passing at any of the colonies, it was still a possibility.

The fourth colony looked exactly the same to all of the other colonies…except for the abandoned mine just behind it. Between the three of them, Shepard, Garrus and Sid made quick work of searching the space monkeys before investigating the mine. It must have been abandoned for a long time because the space monkeys made it a part of their colony. A large amount of crates were also present and were covered in a thick layer of dust which had probably gathered over the years. There weren't any other signs that anything had recently passed through the colony, geth or otherwise.

"I'm confused about something," Sid abruptly said as they searched the first few space monkeys they found within the mine.

"About what?" Garrus asked.

"How did these little guys even get inside here?" she asked. "We had to push a button that was a bit too high for them."

It was a pretty good question however Shepard was still annoyed with her so she wasn't about to admit that out loud. "I think we have more important things to worry about, Sid."

They continued to search in silence until they found the very last space monkey in the deepest part of the whole mine. Why couldn't anything be easy? Garrus was able to wrestle the data module from the very upset space monkey and Sid scanned it with her omni-tool to confirm that it was still functioning. They started the walk back to the surface but they didn't get very far. Once they entered the mine's main central chamber, they were surrounded by geth and barely had any time to take cover behind the assembled crates from whoever had created the mine. They were greatly outnumbered and were under heavy fire.

"Sid, I don't suppose you have any gadgets to take out the geth?" Shepard called over the gunfire.

"Sorry, Jo. It's not like the geth were an integral part of my life," Sid retorted irritably.

Shepard leant around her cover and fired off a few shots at the closest Geth trooper with her assault rifle, ignoring Sid's obvious irritation and sarcasm. It went down before Shepard had to duck behind her cover once more. They continued to exchange fire until Sid seemed to have a "light bulb moment". She holstered her gun and drew her knife. It looked like the usual combat knife except the hilt was much thicker and appeared to be a bit heavier than usual. The blade also looked really sharp.

"I really don't think that's going to be much help," Shepard yelled.

Sid ignored her. "Can you cover me?" she asked instead.

Shepard and Garrus shared an apprehensive look and then nodded. That was all the confirmation she needed because when Shepard looked back, Sid had somehow disappeared. Shepard and Garrus continued to shoot at the Geth in an effort to keep their attention focused on the two of them, instead of looking for Sid. Shepard would have liked to use a grenade but she had no idea what Sid was planning or where she had disappeared to. After a few more moments, Shepard noticed Sid had made it behind the enemy lines. She approached a Geth Rocket Trooper, grabbed it from behind in a choke hold that would make most Marines jealous and stabbed the knife into its…abdomen area or whatever the Geth version of it was called. Instead of pulling it out again, Sid released the Geth and disappeared again. She soon reappeared next to Garrus.

Shepard was about to demand what that had been about when something weird started to happen. Sid's knife, still stuck in the confused Geth, started to spark and then electricity shot down the blade into the Geth. It started to convulse and involuntarily fired its rocket launcher. The rocket exploded in the middle of a pocket of Geth. The fun didn't stop there though. A nearby container exploded further adding to the chaos.

"Uh oh," Sid said unhelpfully and her satisfied smirk vanished.

"What?" Garrus demanded.

"We're going to need to take cover…back there…now."

They retreated to the back of the cavern and through the door while the Geth were distracted. As soon as they were behind cover, the charge from the knife reached the rocket launcher as well as the other rockets the Geth was carrying. They all exploded which in turn caused the rockets carried by the other Geth to explode which resulted in a pretty big explosion, killing all of the Geth and destroying…pretty much everything. The doors were strong enough to shield Shepard, Garrus and Sid from the explosion. The cavern shook and thick, brown dust drifted down, covering all three of them. They waited for a few minutes for any sounds that would indicate there was still some Geth standing. When they heard nothing, Shepard opened the door just a bit. They all peeped through the small gap and found the coast was clear, aside from clouds of dust and smoke. Shepard opened the doors all the way and admired the damage that had just been dealt.

"…I think I may have underestimated the strength of the charge," Sid said in a small voice, sounding reasonably sheepish.

"You think?" Garrus asked.

"Well, that certainly explains why you carry knives around," Shepard stated when she couldn't think of anything else to say.

Sid walked forward and investigated where the Geth that she had stabbed had been standing. She knelt down and started searching for her knife beneath a pile of debris, remains of the rocket launcher and a bunch of other burnt stuff. When she stood up, she was holding a very dirty blade that had been scorched black between her thumb and index finger.

"I guess the hilt also exploded," Sid said critically. "Back to the drawing board then."

Shepard led the way out of the mine and then called for the _Normandy_ to pick them up. Once they were back on board, they received a few questioning looks as they were still covered in a fine layer of dust, more so than usual. Sid quickly handed the data module over to Shepard and then disappeared with Garrus while Shepard made her way to her office so she could transmit the data to Admiral Hackett. She had just passed the Galaxy Map when Navigator Pressly called her over. It must be urgent if he couldn't wait until she took her gear off first.

"Commander Shepard, there's a transmission coming through for you," he informed Shepard with a frown.

Shepard paused and turned to face her Executive Officer directly. "A transmission from whom?"

Navigator Pressly shrugged. "I'm not sure, Commander. He refuses to give his name and he specifically asked for you. He refuses to say anything else or give me any other information."

"I'll handle it," Shepard assured Navigator Pressly. "Would you mind transmitting this data to the Fifth Fleet in the meantime? Admiral Hackett is expecting it."

"Right away, Commander," he replied and took the data module from her.

"Thank you," Shepard said earnestly and went to answer the mysterious transmission.

"_Greetings, Commander Shepard. I represent a party interested in obtaining information on Cerberus activities,"_ the transmission began. Shepard already had a bad feeling about where this was going.

"Who are you? And who do you represent?" Shepard demanded impatiently.

"_Who I am is inconsequential. Suffice to say, I am an agent for the Shadow Broker. You see, Admiral Kahoku contacted my employer looking for information on the location of any Cerberus facilities,"_ the unknown man explained pleasantly. _"We provided that information on the promise that he would turn over copies of all files gathered from the Cerberus systems to us."_

"You must have some connection to Cerberus. How else could you tell Kahoku where to find them?" Shepard asked suspiciously. Even if this man had no connection to Cerberus, perhaps she could find out some other information about him.

"_Information is our business, Commander,"_ he answered. _"Through our contacts, we were able to determine that the Cerberus group was active in the Voyager Cluster. Unfortunately, that was all we were able to find out. That is why we are so interested in acquiring copies of the files from you."_ This man was one smooth talker.

Shepard still wasn't satisfied with the answers she was getting and she remained suspicious. "Did you have anything to do with Admiral Kahoku ending up dead?"

"_We had no reason to harm him. He was going to provide us with information about Cerberus. Information that is now in your possession."_

"These are classified Alliance files. I'm not handing them over to you," Shepard argued and crossed her arms across her chest, even though the man she was arguing with couldn't see her.

"_Be reasonable, Commander. Cerberus was operating outside of Alliance jurisdiction. You don't owe them any loyalty. The Alliance is just going to file this information away in some archive. No secret stays hidden forever. Eventually, someone somewhere will deliver it to our hands. It may as well be you. Transmit the files to us and you will be well compensated,"_ the man tried to persuade.

For an information broker, he didn't seem to know the Commander very well otherwise he would have realised that financial gain would not appeal to her.

"My loyalty is to the Alliance, not the Shadow Broker," she said evenly, slightly offended that this man thought her loyalty could be so easily swayed.

The man seemed unperturbed by Shepard's unwillingness to change her attitude. _"That is unfortunate, Commander. My employer will remember this the next time you need something from us. It is a pity that you made the same mistake as your sister."_

The transmission was cut short and Shepard was surprised to hear that Sid had a past with the Shadow Broker and had somehow managed to make an enemy out of the elusive information broker. It was also surprising that he knew that Sid was her sister…then again, he may just have some experience as an information broker. It also occurred to her that Sid had been right about Admiral Kahoku seeking information elsewhere and going through illegal channels. The information had also come with a price, just as she had predicted. It had originally been the files but the Admiral had paid with his life in the end. Shepard had been wrong and Sid had been right. Shepard then realized that for a very good humoured person, Sid sure did have a cynical outlook on life.

Shepard would need to apologise so she headed back to the Mess and found Sid once again contemplating the plate of food in front of her. She was still covered in dust, just like Shepard, and her hair was still tied back in a messy bun. Shepard walked over and sat down next to Sid, for a change. At first, the younger of the two Shepards did not quite acknowledge that she was no longer alone.

"I'm pretty sure it hasn't changed in the past few hours since we were last here," Shepard pointed out helpfully.

Sid shrugged. "I'm actually thinking of using this in my inventions. I imagine it's probably indestructible."

Shepard smiled and then turned serious. "Sid, you were right."

Sid's head snapped up and she looked at Shepard in surprise, mainly because of Shepard's admission. "Engineer Adams has a crush on Tali'Zorah?"

"What?" Shepard asked in confusion.

There was a half-second of silence. "What?" Sid repeated in an attempt to pretend that she hadn't said anything.

They stared at each other – Shepard genuinely confused and Sid trying to look innocent.

"Uh…never mind," Shepard said, trying to move the conversation along. "I meant about Admiral Kahoku. He went to the Shadow Broker and agreed that the Cerberus files would be used as payment."

"Huh," Sid said lamely and then she must have seen Shepard's disappointment. "He had just lost his men and he wasn't getting anywhere with the Alliance or the Council. Seeking the Shadow Broker's help wasn't the actions of a decorated Alliance officer; rather they were the actions of a desperate and frustrated man looking for answers."

Shepard was quite surprised. "I was expecting an 'I told you so'."

"You didn't let me finish."

"Go ahead."

Sid opened her mouth as if to say it and then closed it again. "You know, it's no fun when you actually want me to say it."

Shepard smiled and they descended into silence once again. She wanted to ask Sid something – something about her past or what happened with the Shadow Broker – but she had just put some effort into helping Shepard maintain her vision of the Alliance, even though it clashed with her own. It was obvious that Sid did not have a very high opinion of the Alliance. Shepard just couldn't ask a question that would probably end up upsetting them both…not at the moment, anyway.

"I think you should fire the lieutenant," Sid said abruptly and pointed at Kaidan with her fork.

Shepard was taken aback. He was the best soldier she had…perhaps she was a bit biased. "Why?"

"Well, ever since I joined your crew, he's been fixing that same bloody control panel. Either he's useless at fixing things or the man needs a hobby," Sid said and paused as she chewed her food thoughtfully. Then she added "Or a girlfriend."

"That was subtle," Shepard responded.

Sid smiled. "I never said it should be you although you just confirmed my suspicions."

"Really?" Shepard demanded. "How do you figure that?"

"You're blushing," Sid commented casually and tried not to burst out laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

**curseofthe5, I figured that because Sid's more of a computer nerd and Tali is more the machinery nerd – if that makes sense – not all of Sid's inventions would be 100% perfect. It didn't seem right to me, especially considering Sid doesn't enjoy violence so she wouldn't have had many opportunities for field testing, despite a lot of people wanting her dead. What I have in mind for her is that she really prefers to run than fight. Hopefully that makes sense.**

**Once again though, thank you for your reviews :) They make me feel all warm and fuzzy. And I'm also glad the space monkeys went down well. That was a fun chapter to write.**

**Chapter 5**

Sid sighed and drummed her fingers on the armrest of the chair. While they were travelling to the planet of Feros in the Theseus System, she was sitting in the co-pilot's chair on Joker's left. Between missions or when she was bored, Sid would often keep the helmsman company for a time. It was relaxing to be around him because he never asked personal questions, never made harsh judgements based solely on her career choice and he shared her good humour, which on the _Normandy_ was a surprisingly rare thing. She vaguely wondered if it was part of the job description or if basic training was intentionally designed to rid all recruits of a sense of humour. Jo wasn't much better but Sid suspected that if she loosened up, so would the crew. Lieutenant Alenko was responsible for this theory. So far though, any attempts at humour had mostly resulted in annoyance

"You know what we need?" Sid suddenly asked.

Joker glanced at her quickly. "Decent food?"

"I meant besides that."

"Leather seats?"

"And that."

"Movie night?"

Sid's posture straightened as she thought about it. "You know…that actually has potential. It's not what I had in mind though."

Joker smiled in amusement. "What were you thinking?"

"We need a theme song," she answered smoothly.

Joker was silent for a moment as he processed this. "A theme song?"

"Why not? We're a mismatched group that still conveys levels of badassery and utter awesomeness. We're using a prototype ship that is extremely advanced. With the amount of firepower on this ship, we could probably take over the Volus Empire. And we're chasing a rogue Spectre through the galaxy and technically speaking, we don't even have to follow the rules," Sid argued her case. "Therefore, we need a theme song."

Joker raised an eyebrow incredulously. "The Volus Empire? Really?"

Sid shrugged in answer. "Well, I was going for a certain dramatic feel hence the empire bit and the Volus would be reasonably easy to overtake and highly profitable, I would imagine. I mean, have you ever seen a Volus with a gun?" She paused briefly and smiled. "I can't even picture a Volus with a gun."

"You have a point," Joker agreed with a grin. "And we are pretty badass."

"So I hear you want me fired?" a voice interrupted from behind.

Sid and Joker both turned to look at a somewhat amused Lieutenant Alenko. Yep, he had definitely loosened up a bit and had actually developed something that resembled a sense of humour.

"Well, from maintenance duty, yeah," Sid answered unashamed and she wasn't surprised that Jo had told him either.

Joker started laughing while the lieutenant sat down in the seat to the right. Not many people would be so blunt on the _Normandy_.

"What are you two doing?" Kaidan asked, taking Sid and Joker by surprise. He wasn't normally one to socialise either.

"Sid is plotting to take over the Volus Empire."

Sid tsked at the helmsman. "_And_ we need a theme song," she added, as if it was more important than her plans to rule the Volus.

Kaidan looked from Joker to Sid and back to Joker again with a slightly confused expression. Sid assumed he was trying to decide if they were joking or not. After a few moments, it became pretty clear that they were not, in fact, joking at all.

"You know…Jo has a very similar expression," Sid informed the confused man.

"What expression would that be?" Kaidan asked slowly.

"It's her I'm-currently-questioning-your-sanity look. I've seen Jo's version a few times but yours is way better, especially for a first try."

There was silence after this as Kaidan tried to find a way to respond and Joker chuckled in his seat. Joker had learnt very quickly that Sid had a different way of looking at things and shouldn't really be taken seriously all of the time. It had also become apparent that Sid wasn't anything like the rest of the crew members. Jo, Kaidan and Ashley were all Alliance Marines through and through, one of which was a Marine brat. Garrus, Tali and Wrex had been drawn to the mission because of Jo's leadership and were determined to see it through to the end, no matter what. Liara was searching for answers as to why her mother would work for Saren and research the Protheans at the same time.

Sid…well, no one actually knew why she was a part of the crew or what it was she was supposed to be doing. Despite Kaidan knowing of her smuggling background, he hadn't told anyone except Jo who already knew that. Sid guessed it was because Kaidan wasn't close enough to anyone to share the information with, aside from his CO. The crew of the _Normandy_ learnt pretty quickly that personal questions were either ignored or were given answers that no one would take seriously. She also had obvious skill with weapons – although after nearly blowing up Jo and Garrus, she was forbidden from handling explosives – and computers but it was her sense of humour that really set her apart and her habit of questioning or arguing Jo's orders, something that no one else dared to do, especially not in front of the other crew members.

Kaidan was spared from responding to Sid's comment when her omni-tool unexpectedly beeped, signalling the arrival of a message. Sid wasn't expecting any sort of response from any of her contacts just yet so she frowned as she opened the message.

_Ghost_

_I was relieved to hear that you are still alive and that you recently avoided an arrest by C-Sec. I've spent many sleepless nights thinking that I got you killed and I understand if you can never forgive my betrayal. However, I need to speak with you. Urgently. Your trust was not easily earned and I know I've lost it so there is no reason why I should expect you to agree but please humour me. Afterwards, you can shoot me or do whatever you see fit._

_But we must speak. Please reply to this message at your earliest convenience._

_Ace_

Sid read over the message three times before she accepted that it really was there, glaring at her with its annoying orange-ness. Joker and Kaidan had noticed the sudden disappearance of any amusement or mischief from her features and the tension that had built up within moments. She closed the message again and looked at Joker, unsurprised to see her companions were watching her.

"Do you know where Jo is?" she asked, trying to pretend that everything was all right.

"Probably in her office, researching Feros," Joker guessed.

She thanked him and then quickly made her way to Jo's office, ignoring their questioning looks. Even though she had no idea what she was supposed to say to Jo, she soon found herself facing the door. After a few moments of silently arguing with herself, she knocked on the door lightly. When there was no immediate response, Sid assumed that Jo was out and took that as a sign. As she turned to leave, there was a "Come in" so she couldn't exactly not go in. The door opened and Sid entered the room, finding Jo sitting in front of her terminal. Sid had decided to explain the situation to Jo as a leap of faith and because she would feel a lot better if there was someone to watch her back.

Jo looked up at Sid. "Is there something that you need?" she asked, distracted.

Despite the almost progress they had made with their relationship and the laughs they shared when neither brought up personal matters, here Jo was addressing Sid as any other crew member. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered her as much. Right now though, she needed some support and she really doubted she was good enough to keep her emotions from her face. And Sid didn't quite know how to ask for help either so in that second, she changed her mind.

"I just thought you would want to know that I haven't found much on Feros. The majority of information can be found on the extranet so I don't know how useful any of it is," Sid said, struggling to regain her composure but managing to do it in the end.

Jo was silent for a moment. "What do you have?"

Sid tapped her omni-tool a few times. "Well, two thirds of its surface is covered in Prothean ruins, the majority of which are slowly crumbling. ExoGeni has also established a permanent human colony there, Zhu's Hope. The colonists are split into two groups: those that maintain and live in the colony itself and those working for ExoGeni. There were some rumours about some experimentation that may be frowned upon although ExoGeni neither confirmed nor denied these rumours and I'm still waiting to hear back from my contact. I might only get a reply once we leave Feros though."

Jo interlaced her fingers together and then rested her chin on them. "Could these experiments have anything to do with Saren and the Geth invading?"

Sid cocked her head to side as she considered it. "Maybe. There is a definite cover up. Their system must be a remote system, or at least as far as this is concerned. I can't hack into it from here and ExoGeni isn't exactly forthcoming about their activities. Whatever it is it must be pretty unique for Saren to risk getting caught and I doubt he's there to admire the Prothean scenery."

It was a weak attempt at a joke to try to convince Jo that nothing was wrong…not that she noticed in the first place. She was still deep in thought and Sid figured that she was now – as the Marines said it – "Dismissed!" so she left and tried to find somewhere quiet so she could think in peace. The Mess wasn't as empty as she would have preferred but Jo had seen her there many times before and would not get suspicious so it would have to do. Her original plan had been to ask Jo's permission to meet Ace – that way, their deal was still solid and all relevant people would be clued in – and she would have it sorted out in no time.

However, between Jo's disinterest in anything not Geth or Saren related and Sid's inability to ask for help, that particular plan went out the metaphoric window. So now she needed to think. For all she knew, Ace's message could be a trap or perhaps Ace had some important information for her. Doing this without Jo's help and behind her back just made things much harder. As long as she was careful, she could go to the meeting, hear what Ace wanted to tell her and get out before Jo found out. If everything went well and luck was on her side, it would also be possible to get out before the shooting started. The best place for this meeting would be somewhere that would give Sid the advantage, just in case it was a trap.

Citadel Station.

Jo would want to go there anyway, after Feros, to check in with Captain Anderson and maybe get some new gear, depending on whether or not she was in a good mood. It was also the usual spot that Jo would give the crew a couple of hours of shore leave so sneaking off the _Normandy_ would no longer be required and if she ran into C-Sec, it was the perfect cover story as to why she was back before the mission was completed. Sid already knew the layout really well and had all the locations of the blind spots committed to memory. It was the best place.

_Ace_

_I can't say I feel the same way but I am willing to 'humour you'. Consider it repayment for the times you saved my life._

_Citadel Station. Come alone or not at all. This had better be good._

_Ghost_

Satisfied that her message would show her displeasure, she quickly activated a few precautions to make sure the message couldn't be traced and then hit send. This was either going to go really well OR it would end horribly. It was funny how those were always the two possible outcomes for her plans. There was nothing else to do now except wait.

* * *

><p>Shepard was still sitting at her terminal, scanning the lines of text of an article she had found about ExoGeni. After her quick talk with Sid, Shepard decided to research the corporation responsible for the colony and maybe see if she could find something about this mysterious experiment that Sid was convinced existed. If anyone else had suggested a cover up of some secret experiment, Shepard would have thought they were insane but Sid – when she wasn't aiming for drama – had tried to verify their story and came up with nothing. So, perhaps, there was something to the theory. It was worth investigating, at any rate.<p>

"_Hey, Commander, we're coming up on Feros,"_ Joker informed the Commander.

"Thanks, Joker," she replied. "Tell all members of the ground team to suit up."

There was a short pause. _"Done, Commander."_

Shepard exited her office and started walking towards her locker outside the Med Bay. She was quite surprised that Kaidan wasn't fixing his control panel again. Perhaps Sid's comment had convinced him to move around the ship a bit more. He did tend to care what other people thought about him more than others. His time at BaAT had made him self-conscious, especially about his biotics. Once all of her gear was secure, she headed over to the cockpit to watch the docking of the _Normandy_, just in case she would need to verify her identity and Spectre status. Much to her and Joker's surprise, there was no response to their hails and no one informing them that they were an unscheduled arrival as most port authorities loved to point out. As soon as the _Normandy_ docked, Shepard and Joker exchanged a glance.

"Well, this is certainly reassuring," Shepard commented dryly.

"Good luck, Commander."

Shepard thanked him and turned around to leave when his expression caught her eye. He seemed uncharacteristically preoccupied by something and she had not received a sarcastic reply which was also odd.

"Joker?" she prompted.

"It's nothing, Commander." When he received a look in return, he sighed. "Did Sid find you?"

"Why?"

"She was pretty worried about something earlier."

Shepard shrugged. "She was fine when we spoke."

"Like I said, Commander. It's nothing."

Shepard smiled when she realised Joker may have developed a slight crush on her little sister but said nothing about it and met her squad by the airlock. As she walked forward, she couldn't stop herself from glancing at Sid and noticed she was a bit distracted. Perhaps she wasn't quite as all right as Shepard assumed. Unfortunately, they were about to go on a mission so Sid's problems would have to wait until it was done. Shepard led the way out of the airlock, closely followed by Ashley and Garrus. Tali, Wrex and Sid followed and then Kaidan and Liara brought up the rear. They all had their guns drawn and were prepared for anything.

Usually, she wouldn't have brought Tali – who by Quarian standards was still a kid – or Liara – a scientist with little combat experience – along but she had no idea what to expect and needed all the help she could possibly have, just in case. It would also be a good way to see whether or not they could handle themselves in a fight for future reference and some experience in what they had signed on for would make the mission harder to romanticize. They followed the stone pathway until they found a colonist standing there, waiting for them.

"We saw your ship," the man informed Shepard. "Fai Dan wants to speak with you immediately."

"And Fai Dan would be…?" Shepard prompted. She figured he would have some position of leadership but didn't want to assume anything.

"He's our leader. He needs your help to prepare for the geth. They're making another push," he explained hurriedly. "Please. Up the stairs and past the freighter."

Without warning, Sid suddenly tackled the colonist to the ground, while Kaidan and Liara used their biotics to pull Shepard and Ashley back. Shepard was about to demand what the hell was going on when a rocket exploded where they had been standing just moments before. Sid was crouching low behind a large cement block that was barely big enough to protect her, let alone the colonist as well. It didn't help that the Geth had the pair pinned down with standard assault rifles and heavy weapons. Shepard and Ashley had managed to recover themselves and started to return fire, along with Garrus and Wrex.

Liara and Kaidan used their biotics too and soon the Geth were falling back but not quickly enough. Shepard looked at Sid who quickly yanked the colonist back down to avoid getting shot. Sid then noticed Shepard looking at her and she pulled out one of her smoke balls. A silent message passed between them and Shepard nodded once. With any luck, the smoke would make it harder for the Geth to aim and perhaps buy them some time to find better cover. Hey, it was worth a shot.

"Things are going to get a bit smoky!" Shepard shouted over the roar of the guns and biotics.

The others were confused, except for Kaidan. Sid threw the small ball and when it came to a stop at the Geth's feet, Shepard shot it because there was too much gunfire focused on Sid's position. A large black cloud of smoke engulfed the Geth and Sid grabbed the colonist by the elbow, yanking him forward impatiently. They sprinted forward, Sid between the colonist and the Geth, and soon re-joined the others. It wasn't quite fast enough because Sid took a shot to the side and stumbled before she was able to regain her balance again.

"You all right?" Kaidan quickly checked Sid with his omni-tool, while the others continued to shoot at the Geth.

Sid dusted herself off as though getting pinned down by Geth was an everyday occurrence. "Yeah, my shields took the brunt of it. I'm good."

She quickly drew her own pistol with her right hand while she searched the smoke for the Geth that had shot her. As soon as her pistol was ready, her eyes fell on her target. Within a few seconds, she pointed her pistol at it and fired four shots at it – two shots to its head and two shots to its chest. Shepard was quite surprised by the cold, calculating and precise shooting, especially from someone who had previously mentioned she was strictly non-violent. Perhaps Geth were an exception to the rule. Even so, Shepard was quite curious to know, if she only fought in self-defence, how Sid had come to be such an excellent shot. It didn't take that many more shots to clear the corridor.

Everyone got back to their feet and once they were sure everyone was uninjured – colonist included – Shepard led the way towards some stairs, now on high alert. The Geth were obviously the reason why no one responded to the _Normandy_'s hails. They kept the colonist near the middle, between Sid and Kaidan just in case there were a few stragglers in the area. When Shepard glanced over her shoulder, she nearly started to laugh. Based on Sid's expression, she did not approve of babysitting duty. The stairs looked like a good spot for an ambush so Shepard used her right hand to signal the others to stop. Then she ordered Ashley and Wrex forward with her to clear the first corner. Garrus had moved to the back of the group to provide extra cover in case of an attack from the rear or he planned on using his sniper rifle if more Geth attacked from the front. Shepard made another hand signal and Sid led the group forward quietly to where Shepard was standing, as they knew it was safe.

Shepard exchanged a look with Sid and could tell she got the idea so Shepard, Wrex and Ashley moved up the stairs and checked the next corner. It was clear. A shot unexpectedly echoed from behind them. All three spun on the spot just in time to see a weird-looking Geth crumple to the floor from the ceiling behind Shepard and Sid was leaning around the corner with her pistol drawn and her eyes locked onto the Geth. Another one was higher up on the ceiling. Kaidan used his biotics to throw it into the wall opposite and Tali fired at it a couple of times with her shotgun. A third one popped out of nowhere and Liara nervously threw a singularity at it before Garrus took it out with his sniper rifle. Shepard had to admit, for a mismatched group, they sure knew the meaning of 'team work'.

They waited a few more minutes to see if any more of these weird-ass creepy Geth revealed themselves. When the only noise they heard was the colonist's scared whimpering as he cowered behind an unimpressed Sid, they continued on their way. Apparently, this part of Feros was now Geth-free. They did good work, Shepard decided as she led the way past some defensive barriers and a pair of people arguing over who would go looking for the Geth.

_Give them enough time_, Shepard thought grimly, _and the Geth will find you._

Sid's babysitting duty was cut short when the colonist decided to lead the way to Fai Dan. The colony of Zhu's Hope wasn't exactly heart-warming as it was made up of what looked to be converted containers, which seemed odd for a large corporation like ExoGeni. Surely, they could afford to build decent housing for the colonists instead of letting them build makeshift homes from whatever they found in the area. The Geth had also done quite a bit of damage although Shepard found it hard to tell in some cases. The only obvious sign of the danger was the colonists. A few had found guns and armour from somewhere and most looked terrified of the weapons they clutched. Even though their intentions were good, they would probably do more harm than good. They didn't have the training for weapons and their grips were so shaky that it would be a miracle if they actually killed something. The other colonists were also trembling in fear, whispering in a panic or looking for an escape.

An older man and a woman came into view and they both turned around to face Shepard and her squad.

"Oh, Commander, I'm glad they finally sent someone to help us," the man – presumably the leader, Fai Dan – greeted.

"You're a bit late, aren't you?" the woman demanded irritably beside him, before she could reply.

"Sorry about that. Traffic, you know?" Sid muttered sarcastically under her breath just loud enough for the squad to hear.

Naturally they all tried their hardest not to smile so as not to further encourage her and because of the serious nature of the situation. The last thing they wanted to do was antagonise the colonists. Garrus nudged her in the side to tell her to keep quiet. Surprisingly enough, she kept quiet.

"Arcelia!" Fai Dan reprimanded angrily. "Everyone's on edge since-"

"Watch out!" the annoying woman cut in. "We've got Geth in the tower."

Shepard's squad didn't need any further warning as they were ready to attack in the blink of an eye and found cover almost as quickly. Tali and Liara were naturally flustered at first, having little (or no) experience in this matter. Thankfully, Sid (who had been standing between Garrus and Tali) was able to pull the young Quarian along with her behind a nearby cement block, giving them enough time to prepare their weapons. Kaidan had thrown up a barrier in front of himself and was then able to get Liara behind the edge of one of the nearby containers. It took the Asari a bit more time to calm herself down and get her head in the game, so to speak.

"Protect the heart of the colony!" Fai Dan cried out from somewhere nearby as Shepard's squad opened fire on the unfortunate Geth.

In the back of her mind, Fai Dan's order sounded weird but she filed that for later. Garrus had joined Sid and Tali behind their cover; Ashley was behind the cement block a short distance to Shepard's right and Wrex was a bit further away, laughing manically between his shotgun bursts. Once again, Ashley and Wrex joined Shepard out front drawing the fire of the Geth while the others used their various skills to take the finishing shots. They steadily advanced down a dark corridor and then up some more stairs that had pieces of rubble spread around. When they reached the top of the stairs, they found two colonists pinned down by heavy Geth fire.

"Stay down!" Shepard shouted at them as Wrex and Ashley started to draw their fire.

Sid ran forward and slid across the ground to join the colonists behind their cover to make sure they didn't prematurely try to run and get themselves killed, occasionally firing a shot whenever there was a chance. A Geth shock trooper fired a rocket in Sid's direction. It hit the large piece of rock that was protecting her and exploded loudly. When there was no immediate response or reply in the form of bullets, Shepard feared the worst.

"Enough with the freaking rockets already!" Sid yelled angrily at the Geth from behind her cover.

The Geth Shock Trooper was momentarily confused by the strange organic's orders and gave Shepard the perfect opportunity. She leant around the corner and fired her assault rifle at it, killing it. The small handful of remaining Geth was dispatched easily and Sid got to her feet, dusting herself off yet again in a very calm manner. The colonists got to their feet shakily. Apparently, they were not quite as accustomed to having rockets fired at them as Sid.

"The way back is clear. Return to the colony," Shepard ordered quietly, in case there were more synthetics lurking nearby. Usually, she wouldn't have thought the Geth were capable of stealth however the creepy ones from the stairs proved her wrong.

The colonists didn't need to be told twice as they ran down the stairs, back to Zhu's Hope. They continued through the doorway and then up yet another flight of stairs. A lot more Geth were waiting for them up ahead and there wasn't much cover. This was going to be tricky and would require some planning.

"Ashley, Wrex, you're going to come with me as we charge the lines," Shepard ordered softly. The Geth hadn't spotted them yet. "Garrus, I want you to use your sniper rifle whenever you have a shot. Kaidan, Liara, I want you to use your biotics to keep us from getting swarmed. Tali, do whatever you can to the Geth's shields. And Sid? Stop yelling orders for the Geth."

Everyone smiled at Sid's orders. It wasn't unusual for Shepard to make small jokes here and there because she found that it helped to keep morale up, especially during the longer battles. She'd found that out during Elysium and had tried to keep it up as much as possible even though she was never known as the 'Funny Shepard', that title always belonged to Sid. Much to Shepard's surprise though, there wasn't a smartass reply. Perhaps there was something to Joker's concern. They all did a last minute weapons check before Ashley, Wrex and Shepard ran into the open area.

They each fired their assault rifles (or in Wrex's case, his shotgun) at the Geth. With their attention effectively drawn, Garrus was able to take out one Geth with his sniper rifle. The uneven ground worked to their advantage, surprisingly enough, as Shepard found out when she needed to duck to avoid the heavy fire from above. A few more Geth started to charge at them on the level ground and Shepard dove behind a nearby stone block for cover. Garrus' sniper rifle sounded again and the fire directed at Shepard ended abruptly. As she peered around her cover to get a better look, she found a Geth flying through the air and slammed into the wall a few metres ahead of her. She quickly killed another Geth that was advancing from further down the path.

Wrex and Ashley had ascended the stairs by that point and were heavily firing on those few Geth still remaining up there. Another Geth was firing at Shepard on her level and a singularity cropped up in front of her. Liara's, probably. Kaidan had never used them before. Shepard fired at the Geth and killed it without a problem. Silence descended on them as the other Geth were promptly killed. Their victory, however, was short-lived. A few Geth recon drones descended on the group. They were no match for Sid and Tali's combined prowess of technological feats and Garrus' sniper rifle. More Geth appeared. A sniper in the far back kept them pinned down until Kaidan threw him across the tunnel. Garrus took out a few more that were lingering in the back while Shepard ran up the stairs to join Ashley and Wrex who were currently pinned down by rockets.

After another rocket collided with their cover, Shepard suddenly understood Sid's earlier frustration. Just then, Shepard noticed Sid come sliding along the ground and behind her cover. Shepard was about to yell at her for disobeying orders when Sid held up a hand to silence her. The gesture was so unexpected that she actually kept quiet. Sid pulled out two small round devices – one in each hand – that were also black but appeared to be different from her other device. They were about the size of Shepard's thumb and looked better suited for skipping across a lake than a battle with Geth.

Sid looked over her shoulder towards the others and nodded. A singularity appeared just behind the Geth, providing a distraction which Sid used to slid the devices across the floor. Somehow, she had formulated a battle plan before deciding to join Shepard. One device landed near a Shock Trooper while another landed near a normal trooper. Electricity was emitted from the devices and shot into the conductive bodies of the Geth, preventing them from firing their weapons. Two sniper shots later and the coast was clear. Sid ventured out to retrieve them.

"I thought we agreed no more electricity?" Shepard asked as she got up.

Sid shrugged. "Technically, we agreed on no more explosives. Plus, these little ones are nowhere near as powerful as the stuff I put in my knife. Just enough charge to give us the edge."

Just when they thought the danger had passed and they had regrouped, a much larger and much more powerful Geth rounded the corner. Shepard pulled Sid behind the nearest cover. Wrex and Ashley ducked behind some cover just behind them while Kaidan, Liara, Tali and Garrus were the furthest from the large Geth Destroyer. Without waiting for orders, Sid and Tali managed to bring down its shields with the combined power of their omni-tools. Liara and Kaidan managed to lift it with their biotics and the others opened fire. The remaining armour couldn't take the damage and it was killed in record time.

The sound of a Geth drop ship reached Shepard's ears and she turned around. There were now Geth _behind_ them. Fantastic. Everyone managed to relocate to safer cover without much trouble – aside from Garrus and Tali's shields taking a few hits. Luckily, they were mostly Geth troopers which were not too much of a threat, especially when compared with the Destroyer they just took down. Kaidan used his biotic throw an annoying Geth to the side and Liara summoned a singularity in the middle of the ranks which created some mild confusion while the others used their guns to kill them. Perhaps Liara was starting to get the hang of using her biotics in the middle of a battle. Or throwing around singularities was just a reflex.

When the last Geth dropped to the floor, they waited for more Geth. Rather than drop reinforcements, the drop ship decided to move on. Shepard sighed in relief as they regrouped once again.

"Anyone hurt?" Shepard asked. Everyone shook their heads in answer. "Great. Let's go talk to Fai Dan and the only woman capable of annoying me more than Sid."


	6. Chapter 6

**After reading over my earlier chapters, I have noticed that Sid and Jo's relationship does seem to be up and down. While it may appear inconsistent, I should point out I have a similar relationship with my sister…well, the other way around. We're fine for a while and then we end up fighting over something ridiculous. In Sid and Jo's case, it's more of a professional 'we'll deal with our emotional crap later' relationship. As long as Jo doesn't ask Sid any personal questions and as long as Sid doesn't break the law or get any crew members killed, they'll be fine.**

**Chapter 6**

They followed Jo down the stairs and back to Zhu's Hope in silence. Sid was insulted to hear that someone annoyed Jo more than she did although after meeting the annoying woman in question, Sid could understand and she hadn't been at the top of her game since she got the message from Ace. Her thoughts were more focused on trying to figure out what the motive behind the message had been and how to meet him secretly, not on how to annoy her sister. Jo didn't seem to have noticed much though and it was hard deciding if this was a good thing or a bad thing. When they approached Fai Dan again, the rest of the squad had come to a silent agreement that Sid would stay in the back to avoid any more comments. The situation was already tense without her making things worse.

"The tower's secure," Fai Dan announced. "Thanks to you, Commander."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Sid muttered and swiftly received a Quarian elbow to her side.

"I'm glad we could do our part to keep your colony safe," Jo replied good-naturedly.

"I appreciate your concern…and your efforts against the Geth," Fai Dan continued.

"They have been slowed but they'll be back," the woman added helpfully, sounding extremely paranoid, even by Sid's standards. "They always come back."

Before Sid could even think about replying, Tali had decided that the safest course of action was to place her hand over Sid's mouth to keep her quiet. If anything, that seemed to amuse Garrus, Kaidan, Ashley and Liara even more than anything Sid had said in the past. Predictably, Wrex was disinterested in the whole affair and was using this time to check that his shotgun was still working properly. It was surprising to see Liara smile though, especially after the battle they had just fought. Even though she tried to hide it, Sid had noticed the slight trembling in the Asari's hands. She chose not to say anything – Liara would just have to get used to the adrenaline rush if she wanted to be an active member of the ground team and find answers about her mother.

"If I knew what the Geth were after then I could convince them to leave and your colony will be safe," Jo said, trying to find some answers, even amid the quiet snickering going on behind her.

Fai Dan sighed. "We don't know what they're after. They came, they attacked us. That's all we know."

Sid seriously doubted that but Tali's hand kept her from sharing this thought with the others. Instead, she had to settle on suspiciously glaring at Fai Dan which, coupled with Tali's hand over her mouth, made her look like a sulky child, further adding to the amusement of those around her.

"Their main base is at the ExoGeni Headquarters. A good place to start looking if you want answers," he suggested somewhat evasively.

"The skyway leads directly to the ExoGeni headquarters. You can't miss it," The Annoyance explained.

Sid was surprised that it was actually helpful information and not paranoid in the least. It was also impressive that this woman had gone so long without mentioning the word 'Geth'.

"Of course, there's an army of Geth between here and there," Fai Dan added. Once again, this message brought to you by Captain Obvious himself.

Jo smirked. "I would be disappointed if they made this easy."

That certainly confused Captain Obvious, even if he didn't let it stop him from talking. "Then maybe I can get this colony operational again."

Garrus stepped forward. "What can you tell us about the defences the Geth have set up?"

Jo looked over her shoulder when Garrus spoke and noticed Tali's hand on Sid's mouth and visibly fought hard to keep a smile from emerging which made it even harder for the others to keep from laughing. If Fai Dan and his companion noticed the squad quietly snickering in the background, they said nothing about the obvious lack of professionalism nor were they offended.

"I don't have any details," Fai Dan answered. "But I'll wager it's a lot more fortified than the command post."

Sid could have told Jo that – it was their main base after all. The Geth weren't exactly going to let anyone just stumble into their camp by accident and throw them a welcoming party.

The Annoyance decided she had been quiet for too long. "They landed at least one geth ship at ExoGeni and I've seen large walking tanks on the skyway. Expect a hard fight."

When did they ever do otherwise?

Jo was silent for a moment and gave the colony a quick once-over. "What do you need done to get this place back on its feet?"

"We need those Geth destroyed," The Annoyance pointed out.

Sid raised an eyebrow – that was all she could do. Apparently, The Annoyance was fighting for Captain Obvious' title now. This conversation was starting to get boring…that wasn't right. It had started out boring and now Captain Obvious and The Annoyance were trying her patience which was definitely saying a lot considering she occasionally had to deal with Vorcha. Now those things could test one's patience to new levels.

"Arcelia is right," Captain Obvious agreed. "There are still Geth in the tunnels. We also have more mundane problems, like food, water and power. I'm not sure where we stand on those matters. You should talk to the people overseeing them."

"Would you just give us a moment?" Jo asked the pair and then the group walked a few steps away where they wouldn't be overheard. "I need to investigate ExoGeni to try to figure out why the Geth are here and what Saren is after, it's too important to waste any more time. However, we can't leave this colony on its own. Therefore, Ashley, Liara and Tali will come with me to ExoGeni. Kaidan, you're in charge of Sid, Wrex and Garrus. I want you to do what you can for the colonists: take out the remaining Geth in the tunnels and see what can be done about food, water and power."

"Aye, aye Commander," Lieutenant Alenko answered.

Jo, Liara, Tali and Ashley left Zhu's Hope for the ExoGeni Headquarters while the others remained and spoke to the colonists, trying to find out what they could do about their given assignments as well as the colony itself. After speaking with a couple in what must be their version of a Med Lab, something didn't quite add up but Sid couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Having now regained the use of her mouth, she looked around as they walked. "Anyone else getting a weird feeling about this place?" she asked quietly.

"I'm not sure," the lieutenant replied. "But we'd best stay sharp."

As they made their way towards the tunnels, Sid got the impression that her current squad mates were going to use this fun bonding time to interrogate her. By this point, everyone knew everyone…except no one knew anything about Sid, aside from the fact that she knew Jo somehow and had been recruited from a C-Sec interrogation room. Sure, she had some skill with computers, inventing small devices that rarely worked and annoying the crap out of the Commander but that was about it.

And while Sid could appreciate that they were all just looking out for the galaxy's best CO – she vaguely wondered if she could get a coffee mug with that stamped on it as a Christmas present – it did not mean she was going to make it easy on any of them. Not even Jo or Joker. Despite shooting stuff together, Sid still did not trust everyone…or anyone, really. Yes, Jo trusted them and yes, Sid trusted them to watch her back during a fight. That did not mean, however, she was going to trust them with her life story, especially considering Jo had already made up her mind on the kind of person she thought Sid was and her own version of events.

Jo seemed to have accepted Sid's lack of trust for the moment, even toward her, and hadn't asked as many questions lately even if the others seemed to regard Sid's trust issues as suspicious. Factor in her habit of breaking the law/rules, questioning orders and the mysterious circumstances that led to Jo recruiting her – could it have been blackmail? Death threats? – and apparently that made her a spy for Saren. Or the Council. Either way, she wasn't exactly feeling the love. It didn't bother her though. She had experienced worse, like that week she spent in the brig of a pirate ship and that other time where a group of mercs tried to ransom her off to the highest bidder between hitting on her…now _that_ was torture.

Sid was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed Garrus watching her.

"Do you and Shepard have a history?" he suddenly asked.

Sid looked up curiously and out of the corner of her eye, she could tell that Lieutenant Alenko and Wrex were listening. Instead of answering straight away, she cocked her head to the side and regarded the Turian, sizing him up and trying to gauge how much she could push his buttons before he lost his temper. When there were gunshots, Garrus usually rushed in without thinking and yet, while he worked on the Mako or spent time talking with other people, he was quite patient. It would also take some time to convince him to pursue other topics, proving he had a stubborn streak to him too. He was also quite good at investigating, even if he would sometimes let his headstrong tendencies or frustration cloud his judgement at times.

"I'm going to say…C-Sec."

"What?" Garrus asked, confused and blindsided.

Sid shrugged. "I was trying to guess where you got your training from because you are quite clearly not Alliance and you don't act like a mercenary. You ask questions that you obviously already know the answers to in the hopes that it will help get your foot in the door, so to speak, and get more answers. Executor Pallin tried it numerous times and I'm going to tell you the same thing I told him: you _really_ need to up your game."

There was silence. Apparently, Garrus had not expected that and he was rethinking his strategy. The interrogation was cut short when they reached the stairs and made some new geth friends. It was a small group and they were dispatched relatively easily. Once the stairway had been cleared, they continued on their way.

"So is that a yes then?" Garrus asked.

"Obviously, you already know that Jo and I have a history. For one, I am the only one that calls her by her first name and not 'Commander' or 'Shepard' or a combination of the two," Sid answered conversationally while still trying to stay two steps ahead of the Turian so she didn't accidently say something she shouldn't. "We also argue a lot and I infuriate her even more. I wouldn't be so good at the latter if not for history."

"What sort of history?"

Much to Sid's surprise, the question had come from Lieutenant Alenko. If Garrus had asked, she would have given the Turian some smartass reply, if only to test his C-Sec training. But, given the fact that Jo definitely cared deeply for this man, even if she was not prepared to admit it just yet, Sid decided to downplay the sarcasm.

"A complicated one that hurt everyone involved," she replied vaguely. "If she hasn't explained anything about our history, then I won't say anything more. If you really want to know, take it up with the Commander, otherwise my lips are sealed."

Sid was pretty confident that the one thing that they would not do would be confront Jo about her presence and their history. She was also pretty sure that Jo had given explicit orders forbidding them from doing exactly this which is why they waited to do it when Jo was nowhere nearby. She had to admit, Garrus was a sneaky one. He certainly had more tact that Executor Pallin.

"Vakarian, I imagine C-Sec is going to suffer from your resignation," Sid admitted unashamedly.

All three of her squad mates were taken off guard by the unexpected compliment, so much so that they nearly walked straight into more Geth. Luckily, the sound of opening doors brought them back to reality just in time to duck behind some cover and return fire. The Geth snipers and Geth drone were taken out quite easily with a combination of guns and biotics and they quietly advanced down the corridor. The corridor led into another chamber where they were swiftly set upon by three Krogan Battle-Masters. Naturally, the Krogan were not satisfied with just shooting their guns and one charged directly at Sid before she could find some satisfactory cover.

At the last possible second, Sid dove out of the way and rolled back onto her feet, spun around and fired four shots at the Krogan's back in a matter of seconds. The Krogan's shields were down but he turned to face Sid so he could charge her again. Sid held her ground and fired three shots in quick succession at the charging Krogan's head. He was killed only a few steps short of Sid so when he fell, his body continued to skid along the floor and stopped at her feet in a small cloud of dust. The other two Krogan had been killed in the meantime and Sid looked up to find her three companions staring at her.

She holstered her pistol and headed to the opposite side of the room, completely unfazed by what had happened. Krogan had a habit of charging at her so it wasn't a big deal. However, the large transmitter in the corner had been unexpected which silenced any witty one-liners she had been thinking up and the others joined her.

"I think I found the source of the Geth," she helpfully informed them, fully aware that she had just pointed out the obvious.

Lieutenant Alenko ordered Garrus to set the transmitter up with explosives while Sid and Wrex positioned themselves by the door in case more Geth arrived. Once Garrus was done, they headed back into the corridor and detonated the explosives. The lieutenant decided to make sure there was no possibility of it working again and when he was satisfied that it was completely and utterly destroyed, they continued on with their next assignment: restoring water to the colony. While they walked, Sid became acutely aware of the fact that Garrus and Wrex were on either side of her as though they were her personal escort.

"So…" Garrus began.

A conversation that began like this never went well. Time to play stupid. "So…?" Sid echoed innocently.

"You never told us your last name," the Turian stated calmly.

Well, that certainly was unexpected. Apparently, he had decided on what tactics to try next. "Maybe I don't have one."

Garrus scoffed. "_Everyone_ has a last name, even Wrex."

"Well, technically, 'Urdnot' is a title used to identify which clan a Krogan belongs to and is not a last name," Sid argued. "Especially considering it is used before the name which would make referring to it as a 'last name' a bit contradictory."

Wrex, for his part, grunted in approval. "You're not so bad…for a human."

"Well, thank you, Wrex. You're not so bad yourself…for a Krogan."

Wrex started chuckling and slapped Sid on the shoulder good-naturedly…which naturally hurt and caused her to stumble. Once she had regained her footing, Sid tried to laugh off the pain. Once Wrex stopped laughing, she winced and silently mouthed the word "Ow". A soft sound that sounded suspiciously like a laugh came from the lieutenant, it was too soft to be sure though.

Garrus, however, was not impressed with her answer. "You're avoiding the subject."

Sid looked up at him and noticed his mandibles flare in slight annoyance. He must really look up to Jo. Sid guessed he was only interrogating her to look after his Commander. But if Jo still hadn't told anyone about their relation, Sid wasn't going to either. It was Jo's crew, Jo's mission and Jo's goodwill that kept Sid out of prison so, ultimately, it was Jo's decision.

So Sid sighed dramatically as though he had won and she was giving up. "_Fine_, Vakarian, you win. My last name is Nie."

By this point, they had crossed a bridge and entered another tunnel. Lieutenant Alenko found the first water valve and ordered Sid to activate it. Wrex chuckled again while Lieutenant Alenko seemed oblivious to everything that had just gone on behind him, although Sid was pretty sure she saw the shadow of a smile. Jo must give one hell of a pep talk to get Kaidan to be social…especially to an annoying smuggler, a nosy Turian and a grumpy Krogan. When Garrus finally put the pieces together and realised she had just told him that her name was Sydney, it was too late to argue further because Geth started to fire at them. Why the Geth wanted to stop them from activating water valves was beyond Sid. At least they were getting a lot of practice at killing these synthetics.

Finding and activating the remaining two water valves had been easy – they were the only white blocks in the tunnels – and the Geth were more of an annoyance than a threat. Their numbers were too few and the squad had perfected their teamwork: Wrex and Kaidan would use their biotics to throw or pull the Geth and Sid and Garrus would take them out with their guns. Only sorting out food and power for the colony now remained.

As they explored the tunnels, they travelled in silence. Either Sid had annoyed Garrus so much that he needed to rethink his strategy once again or he had decided to give up for the time being. She seriously doubted it was the latter – she had yet to meet a Turian that actually knew the meaning of 'give up'. They walked through a large door and found a chamber that had been made up of sections of collapsed skyway. There was a crashed tank on the far side of the room however the squad's attention was on the pack of growling Varren that was slowly advancing on the group until a much larger Varren showed up: the Alpha. The Alpha let out a strange noise – perhaps a Varren battle cry because the whole pack started to charge.

The squad opened fire on the annoying creatures. The Alpha had an irritating tactic where he would hang back and while the others were occupied with the normal Varren, he would try to attack them. Sneaky bastard. Sid's attention was currently focused on a pair of Varren. As she killed one, the Alpha Varren unexpectedly jumped her and she landed on the ground with a hard thud and a strange noise as her pistol cluttered to the floor, just out of reach. Its claws dug into her shoulders while she forced her knee into its abdomen to try to force it off her and her forearm was pinned against its neck in an effort to keep its jaw away from her face. One thing she knew for sure: Varren breath was _horrible_.

With her free hand, Sid was able to grab her combat knife – her only other knife that also had not been modified – and she stabbed the blade into the Varren's neck. As the body went limp, she pushed it off her with some effort and a soft groan. The other Varren that had held back for the Alpha to attack then charged at her too and Sid tried to come up with some way to kill it without any weapons. There weren't a whole lot of options and not enough time. The Varren was suddenly enveloped in blue energy and swiftly flung into a wall just as it pounced. It took her a few seconds to realise that the young lieutenant had just saved her life.

She relaxed onto the floor again as there was no other danger and tried to catch her breath. That was certainly more exciting that she had expected. 'Smart' was not a word she would associate with Varren and they didn't typically attack as a group. 'Stinky', 'fast', 'aggressive' and 'annoying' were all acceptable adjectives but not 'smart'. Lieutenant Alenko then ordered Garrus and Wrex to investigate the nearby tank while he came to check on Sid's injuries. Other than being winded, the Varren had scratched her shoulders. Luckily, they weren't serious as her leather jacket had absorbed most of the damage. Once Sid promised that she would visit Dr Chakwas when they returned to the _Normandy_, Kaidan helped her to her feet. For an anti-social biotic, he certainly had potential to become a good leader and he was a good field medic…not that Sid would admit it out loud.

She quickly retrieved her gun and then cleaned her knife as best she could before Garrus called them over.

"I think this power cell will be able to power up the generator," the Turian informed them.

Sid activated her omni-tool and scanned the power cell herself. "I agree. It looks like it has enough charge to keep the colony on its feet for a while. At the very least, it should provide the generator with enough juice until this is all over and ExoGeni can send them new supplies."

They quickly salvaged the power cells and returned to Zhu's Hope. They split up, each bringing the good news to the person in charge of one of the assignments they had just completed and then started to walk back to the _Normandy_. Sid was still trying to measure the damage the Alpha Varren had done to her shoulders when her omni-tool beeped. Hopefully, it wouldn't be another message from Ace. Lieutenant Alenko, Garrus and Wrex had all heard the noise which meant she couldn't exactly pretend it didn't happen so she opened the message and read its contents.

_I got the information you wanted. I think you'll be interested to know that ExoGeni was experimenting with something called a Thorian – a big plant-like life form that apparently can control the minds of people. My source also informed me that the small colony there – Zhu's Hope – is the main focus of the experiment. ExoGeni is studying the effects of the Thorian's mind control capabilities on humans. Should the Thorian feel threatened, the colonists will behave accordingly to protect it. As far as I know, the colonists are unaware of the experiment but that could have changed. If you want to find out _how_ they got the Thorian…well, that's above my pay-grade._

_You owe me one._

"Well, this day just keeps getting better and better," Sid muttered under her breath. As she placed one finger to her radio's earpiece to try to contact Jo and give her the heads up, she let Lieutenant Alenko read the message to keep him – her current superior officer and the one she reported to until further notice – in the loop. The message had been too obvious and Lieutenant Alenko would not buy any excuses so she had no choice but to show him.

"Commander Shepard?" she said into her radio – she only used Jo's rank as they were technically on a mission so it was appropriate - but only received static in reply. "Jo? Jo!"

The others also tried, just in case the problem was with Sid's gear and not Jo's, but they didn't get any other results.

"Joker might be able to reach her," Lieutenant Alenko suggested and they practically ran to the _Normandy._ It was unusual for Jo to go so long without some form of communication.

"Can you reach Commander Shepard?" Lieutenant Alenko asked Joker as soon as they stepped into the cockpit.

The helmsman was unsurprised by the question as he fiddled with the controls in front of him. "No. I've been trying to raise her on the radio for a few minutes now. I've got nothing. It's not like her to not check in."

Sid sat back down in her preferred chair and then used her omni-tool to try to boost their signal, even trying a few questionable methods to do so, not that Joker and Lieutenant Alenko seemed to mind. "Whatever's blocking her must be huge. I still can't get through and I've tried pretty much every trick I know."

Garrus then leaned forward to get a better view through the front of the ship. "Are those the colonists?" he asked in confusion.

Kaidan, Sid and Joker stopped what they were doing and looked up. Sure enough, a small group of colonists were making their way towards the _Normandy_ and they were not happy. Their movements were sluggish as if they were unused to their bodies and their body language indicated that they were ready for a fight. Joker locked the airlock and any other possible way onto the ship. It didn't stop the colonists from attacking said ship though. Soft banging sounded throughout and many crew members looked around nervously. Navigator Pressly was trying his hardest to keep everyone calm, even though he had no idea what was going on. It was an admirable attempt and he was a solid choice as an Executive Officer.

"Whatever Jo's doing must have hit a nerve," Sid guessed as she listened to the echoing bangs. It was an unsettling situation to be in even if humans would never be able to break the exterior armour of a space vessel.

Kaidan nodded his head in agreement. "Your contact must be good."

Sid smiled, otherwise saying nothing. Instead, she and Joker kept trying different ways to get through to Jo. Kaidan hovered behind them, occasionally offering advice so he didn't feel left out or useless, while Garrus and Wrex returned to the Cargo Hold. They had tried all sorts of things to get through when something changed and Sid's omni-tool informed her that the interference had disappeared. It wasn't something they had managed to do. Jo must have destroyed whatever it was that had been blocking the radio channels.

"I repeat, _Normandy_ to shore party," Joker said into the radios for what must have been the tenth time. "Are you reading? Anyone there? _Normandy_ to shore party. Come on, Commander, talk to me!"

_::Is that you, Joker? What's going on over there?::_

Sid could almost feel the tension in the room disappear. She was so relieved that she didn't even reply with sarcasm.

"We're in lockdown here, Commander. Something happened to the colonists. They're banging on the hull, trying to claw their way inside the ship. They're freaking out!" the helmsman answered.

Sid decided to cut in. "Jo, ExoGeni has a Thorian beneath Zhu's Hope and it's controlling the colonists."

_::Thanks, Sid, we already know. One of the researchers and an ExoGeni VI told us. Do you know anything else about it, something that might help us or tell us why Saren is after it?::_

Sid was a bit miffed that she now owed someone a favour for nothing. "It's a giant plant that can use mind control and is likely beneath Zhu's Hope, perhaps in the heart of the colony if Fai Dan's earlier orders are any indication. It is also possible that the colonists are unaware that they are under the control of a giant homicidal plant. Whatever you did must have it worried if the colonists are attacking us. Beyond that, I can only speculate why Saren would be after it."

_::They can't do any real damage. We're on our way back. Just hold your position.::_

"Uh…yeah. Okay," Joker replied uncomfortably. "Well, we'll just wait right here for you, Commander."

Sid smirked at Joker. Only she and the helmsman got away with talking to Jo like that, mainly because they were the only ones who pushed their luck. Even though having a bunch of insane colonists trying to force their way onto their ship was a bit unnerving, the whole crew knew that Jo could handle the situation just fine so Sid got to her feet and went to visit Doctor Chakwas, as promised. When Lieutenant Alenko had asked about her injuries, she had downplayed them somewhat. It was just out of a habit of refusing to look weak in front of others, especially people she wouldn't put on her Christmas card list. But now, the scratches on her shoulders were burning a bit – they were probably a bit deeper than she first realised – and her whole body was sore. Getting jumped by a huge Varren and landing on a concrete floor hurt. A lot. There was no questioning it: she was going to be stiff tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Kill a bunch of Geth? Check.<p>

Find out what Saren was after? Check.

Destroy the Thorian? Check.

Save the colony of Zhu's Hope? Double check.

Retrieve the Cipher? Check.

"Embrace Eternity" with Liara? Check.

Figure out the vision from the Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime? Not quite.

Overall, the mission on Feros had been a success. Shepard had even managed to prevent Fai Dan from killing himself with a well-timed punch before he was able to pull the trigger, thankfully, and she had also managed to spare every one of the colonists, even though she used up all of her grenades. The Asari that had been released from the Thorian even agreed to help Zhu's Hope after being handed over by Saren as a sort of sacrifice. With any luck, ExoGeni would continue to help the colony to grow. The colonists were tough and resilient and hopefully ExoGeni would repay them for forcing them into an experiment that nearly got them killed. If not, perhaps Sid could do something to convince the corporation that it would be in their best interests to do so.

And the mission had also taught her not to overestimate the abilities of her crew members. Liara had been brought along not only for her biotic abilities but her knowledge on the Protheans. Feros was mostly made up of Prothean ruins so it made sense, especially if Saren was after another Prothean relic of some sort. The area was also overrun with Geth hence the decision to take Tali along, just in case she had some insight into how to kill them or maybe she could find something to help with her Pilgrimage. Ashley was brought along for her guns and experience to balance out the "new recruits", as it were and apparently that had been a smart decision. Liara and Tali, although they didn't do horribly, weren't quite prepared for what they were faced with and needed some experience with the smaller ground missions before going on such an important and dangerous mission.

The post-mission debriefing was also rather interesting…apart from having Liara delve into her inner most thoughts in an effort to help piece things together. Hopefully, Liara didn't see _too_ much, especially where a certain crew member was concerned…or if she did, she would keep it to herself. Wrex, Garrus and Sid had performed well while under Kaidan's command and had helped increase the chances for the survival of the colony. At first, Shepard had been nervous to put Kaidan in charge of a squad of…such colourful backgrounds and varying morals but he did well. Compared to when she first met Kaidan before the mission to Eden Prime, he had changed. It was subtle, at first. He was starting to come out of his shell, so to speak: he was more outgoing and would become a very good leader with time.

When Shepard noticed Sid's absence from the Briefing Room, Kaidan had quickly explained that Sid had some minor injuries and Doctor Chakwas was making sure there weren't any serious underlying problems or possible infections. The debriefing certainly was a lot smoother now that she wasn't expecting smartass comments or sarcastic answers at the end of every sentence. When the debriefing finished and she had reported to the Council, Shepard made her way to the Med Lab just to make sure that Sid really was fine and nearly walked straight into her at the bottom of the stairs.

"What's the doctor's prognosis?" Shepard asked.

"Well, I had some scratches on my back that a little bit of medi-gel cleared up in no time but having an Alpha Varren pounce on you is somewhat painful. Dr Chakwas expects I'll be stiff for a few days, otherwise I am good to go," Sid answered lightly.

Shepard paused as she let that information process. Kaidan hadn't mentioned how she got injured so hearing that a Varren was involved was…odd. "You were attacked by an Alpha Varren?"

"Yep, although the terms 'jumped' or 'pounced' would fit better than 'attacked'."

If it was anyone else, Shepard would have been worried about the lack of concern. "So, how did you get that information about the Thorian?"

Sid shrugged and then winced slightly. "I know a guy quite high up in ExoGeni…head of research of something somewhere, I think. He got a promotion recently. And it's a bit hard to keep track of all my contacts. We did some…business a while back. Occasionally, he'll get some information for me and the price is usually bearable."

"I hope it didn't cost too much," Shepard said, feeling somewhat guilty that they hadn't needed Sid's information.

"Well, I owe him a favour now. Generally speaking, I don't mind owing people but those in the corporate world…well, you never know what they're going to ask you to do. It could be as simple as getting around some red tape or something big like covering up a failed experiment, depending on the company. I'll worry about that when the time comes though."

"We're heading to the Citadel so, in theory, you shouldn't have to strain yourself," Shepard said with a small smile, in reference to Sid's injuries.

Sid paused and Shepard couldn't quite figure out her expression. "Why? Didn't you already report to the Council?"

"I did. Naturally, they were disappointed I had to kill the Thorian because they would have liked to study it and the Turian councillor was irked that I went out of my way to save a _human_ colony, like they're doing anything to help. But I digress. I'm going to speak to Captain Anderson, ask him a few things about some of the files I picked up on Feros and it is possible that Admiral Hackett may have left some assignments with him as well. The crew could also use some shore leave to blow off some steam after the colonists attempting to break into the ship while I get some more supplies and whatnot."

Sid nodded but remained silent and descended into deep thought. Shepard watched her for a few moments, trying to decide whether or not to ask. Her conscience won out in the end. "Sid, are you all right?"

Sid's head snapped up as she came back to reality and she was surprised by the question. "Yep. I'm fine. Why?" she answered quickly. A bit too quickly.

"You've been pretty quiet since we landed on Feros and I just wanted to make sure nothing was bothering you," Shepard answered. It had occurred to her that the crew may not be entirely accepting of Sid.

"You don't need to worry about me, Jo."

"All right."

Shepard returned to her quarters. Something about Sid's reply was a bit…off and yet, she couldn't decide why. Maybe having two Asari reading her mind in one day was making her paranoid. At the very least, she was exhausted and she flopped down on her bed once she had removed all of her gear and went to sleep. It wouldn't be a long sleep…she hadn't slept much since accidently activating the Prothean Beacon back on Eden Prime…but some sleep would be great.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The journey to Citadel Station had been quiet and uneventful. Sid had spent most of her time sitting in the Mess Hall lost in her own thoughts. She was trying to figure out why Ace had contacted her and demanded a meeting. Was he going to try to kill her? Was he now a bounty hunter looking to get paid? Maybe it was some elaborate trap to set her up…but only Ace really knew how to contact her and he wasn't the violent type. Maybe he wanted to apologise? And if he did…what would she say in return? Could she forgive him? More importantly, _should_ she forgive him?

Once they had arrived, Jo gave the crew some shore leave. It wasn't much – five hours – but some crew members jumped at the chance. Those with family members on Citadel Station wasted no time in leaving. A few decided to grab a round of drinks somewhere – either Flux or Chora's Den most likely - and some decided to go shopping. Those who were members of the shore party decided to remain on the _Normandy_ to get some rest or maintain their gear, along with some of the crew and Joker. Jo had left to speak with Captain Anderson about the events that happened on Feros and some of the data she recovered from ExoGeni. While she was a Spectre and didn't really answer to anyone, she preferred speaking to Captain Anderson for advice. Not only did it help her to become a better leader, it also helped the Captain feel like he was part of Jo's mission. For some odd reason, she felt as if she owed him something.

Sid waited for an hour before venturing off the _Normandy_. Now that the majority of the crew had discovered that her job was to gather information, no one questioned this. It made sense to them to have someone handling the information gathering, especially with a slippery character like Saren. The meeting point that Sid had chosen was an alleyway in the Lower Wards. C-Sec officers only went there if there was some reason to investigate and there were no security cameras. Foot traffic was a problem but with Chora's Den just around the corner, it would probably be made up mostly of drunks or those lowlifes that were happy to ignore and be ignored.

When she did eventually leave, Sid made sure to have all of her gear on. There was no way to guarantee that someone wouldn't try to kill her. After avoiding all security cameras – the last thing she wanted was for Executor Pallin to find out she was back on the Citadel and skulking around without her babysitter – she arrived at the meeting spot. A young man was sitting on a crate in the corner. He was about a year older than Sid with sandy brown short cut hair and his grey eyes were focused on the floor in a rather pathetic expression. Sid almost felt sorry for this man. Instead of marching straight up to him and demanding an answer, she casually leant against the wall and folded her arms in front of her chest.

"I hope you have a good reason for bringing me here, Ace," Sid said and was pleased to see him jump although she kept her face clear of emotion.

Ace looked up in surprise. "I forgot you like to sneak up on people."

"It's a lot easier when they let their guard down," she replied coolly.

Ace sighed and they stared at each other in silence. While Ace was pleased to see her again, Sid was not and she was growing impatient. Every second they wasted increased the chances that someone would stumble upon this meeting.

"Spit it out," she ordered irritably.

Ace stood up and Sid noticed a pistol on his hip. It wasn't entirely unexpected although he had never been one for weapons or fighting. He preferred to pilot the ship, nothing else.

"I know where _The Machine_ is," Ace abruptly told her as if that would solve everything.

Sid shrugged. "Why should that be surprising? You did steal it from me."

Ace winced at the memory. "And I was wrong to do it. After we left you on Omega, we hunted down those slavers and killed them. The others…they enjoyed it but I realised you were right. It didn't help me at all and…it just made things worse." He sighed and sat down again.

This wasn't what Sid had expected and her brow furrowed in confusion. Where was he going with this? Was this a trick to convince her to let her guard down? Was an assassin or bounty hunter lurking somewhere nearby, waiting for some mysterious signal to attack? On the other hand though, Ace had never been very good at lying to her.

"I started to doubt everything we had done and I tried to convince the others that we were wrong to leave you behind, that we should go back and get you. They laughed at me," he continued.

"And yet, you stayed with them."

"I did, Ghost," he replied with a heavy sigh. "Your VI gave us all a hard time so I tried to undermine the others, hopefully get you a way back in. They always blamed your VI so they never suspected it was me."

Sid scoffed, much to Ace's confusion. "The crew that I trusted with my life chose slavers over me, stole my ship and left me on Omega to bounty hunters who wanted to collect the bounty and kill me – not necessarily in that order – and you think I wanted to come back?"

"At the very least, I thought you would want your gear back."

It was true, Sid wanted her stuff back. Her armour, weapons and other inventions were still on board _The Machine_, as well as datapads for other designs, protocol for contacting her more elusive contacts, reports from VIs she had actively gathering information in other systems and a list of her accounts and aliases.

Ace could tell he had been right and continued with his story. "Tiro continued to trade on your name, considering very few know the real Ghost. He couldn't live up to your reputation, no matter how hard he tried. Everyone – new and old clients – figured out he was an imposter and pretty much all work dried up in record time. There was no way to get credits, short of raiding other transports. Tiro was getting desperate and the others were threatening to do to him what we did to you. So he accepted a job from the Shadow Broker. Most of the crew left after he accepted it, as far as I know."

Sid raised an eyebrow. "The Shadow Broker wants me dead. And he wants my death to be extremely painful."

"I tried to tell Tiro that but he refused to listen to me. The credits were enough to convince him otherwise. He called me a coward and left me on some planet I don't even remember the name of. Once I got to Omega though, I found out you had already left. I tried to track you down but none of your contacts would even talk to me. Eventually, I wound up on the Citadel and heard rumours that C-Sec had arrested Ghost. I tried to find out more and then, there was nothing so I decided to find out what I could about _The Machine_ and hope that you were still using your old methods of communication," he explained.

"Do you know what the job was?" she asked curiously.

"I'm guessing you heard about the Geth attack on Eden Prime?" Ace asked.

Considering Jo had been there, she knew more than most. "Of course."

"Somehow the Shadow Broker got his hands on some Geth technology from the colony. I don't know what. With the increased presence of the Alliance, he had no way of getting it off-world," he started.

"So he needed the skills of a smuggler," Sid finished. "But there's got to be more to it. The fact that _The Machine_ was no longer mine wouldn't have escaped him and there are a lot of smugglers out there. It doesn't make sense that he would hire Tiro."

Ace shrugged. "You've started rumours on your own many times before and the Shadow Broker even believed them a few times. Maybe he thinks it was just another one of your rumours to get the mercenaries off your back?"

"Maybe. Even so, there's no way the Shadow Broker would give me an easy job with really good pay."

Ace nodded his head. "You're right. I managed to dig up some information and shortly after leaving Eden Prime, _The Machine_ went silent and basically disappeared. Not your kind of disappearing, rather the 'better assume they're dead' kind of disappearing. And the distress beacon wasn't launched either."

Sid considered the conversation for a few moments and then stood up straight. "So…what? Is this some way of asking for my forgiveness? By giving up _The Machine_ and telling me you fought for me _after_ you stabbed me in the back and abandoned me? How did you picture this ending?" she asked harshly.

Ace shrugged in defeat. "I figured you would have shot me on sight. I deserve it."

Well, that answer was completely unexpected. She descended into silence while she tried to figure out how to reply to that. After a few moments, Ace suddenly tackled her to the ground and there was the sound of a gunshot, likely a sniper rifle. It took her a few seconds to realise that she was unharmed. Ace rolled off her and she caught sight of a sniper above them, fleeing. She was about to chase after the mysterious sniper when Ace groaned. There was a wound on his right leg that was bleeding.

"Dammit!" she cursed and quickly applied some medi-gel to the injury to stop the bleeding.

Ace sat up and examined his injury. "It's not that bad, Ghost. A minor scrape compared with some of the things I got with you."

"I know," Sid answered quietly. "I wasn't swearing at that - the shooter was Sahahla."

Ace was silent for a moment. "Then we need to get the hell out of here."

Normally, Sid wouldn't have trusted him. However, he gave her all of the information without a second thought and he had just saved her life, assuming this wasn't a set up. They also had a good working camaraderie, something that was familiar. With the way things were going, Sid was willing to overlook the earlier betrayal if only for something familiar. Serving on the _Normandy_, an Alliance ship, under someone else's command with a crew that didn't trust her while they hunted a rogue Spectre with an army of Geth was not familiar and was rather uncomfortable at times.

Sid got to her feet and pulled Ace up, wrapping his left arm around her shoulder and her right arm around his waist to get him walking. Luckily, there was no blood evident on either of their clothing. That would certainly make it easier to get through the C-Sec Academy to get to the docks and back to the _Normandy_. The attempt on her life had failed which meant there would likely be another attempt very soon. If they failed…well, Jo was going to kill her anyway. This trip to the Citadel was not going as quietly as she would have preferred. C-Sec would be involved soon and then there would be even more questions from the Executor. Either, Sid had some serious bad luck or she pissed somebody off in a past life.

Ace's limp slowed them down a bit. He was still able to walk and it didn't help that he was much heavier than she remembered as he put most of his weight on her. The gunshot wasn't deep nor was it serious but it still caused quite a bit of damage and a lot of pain. They managed to get to the Upper Markets without a problem which was surprising. Perhaps Ace had been the target of the assassination. Another shot was fired from behind and Sid's shields absorbed the shot, causing her to stumble. Then again, she may have been the target. At least she was able to regain her footing pretty quickly with Ace's help.

A couple of the vendors didn't even blink – perhaps violence in the Markets was more common than people realised. The Wards wasn't exactly known for a high security presence. Even so, Sid did pick up the pace. There was a Volus merchant nearby and Sid quickly hid behind his counter with Ace. Sid and Ace flattened their backs against the interior of the stall, just in case, while the Volus went about his business without even glancing in their direction. After a few moments, Sid recognised the sound of heavy boots running past. They remained where they were for a little while longer when the Volus turned to face them.

"Coast looks clear, Earth-clan," the Volus said softly.

Sid smiled. "Thanks, Expat."

Ace gave her a weird look. "Is there anyone you _don't_ know?"

She got back to her feet and carefully scanned the crowd before pulling Ace up and continuing on their way. The Upper Wards was no more crowded than usual so it would be relatively easy to spot an assassin…but that would work both ways: a young woman helping a limping – and presumably drunk, or so others would assume – man through a crowded area kind of stood out. When they reached the stairs, Sid glanced over her shoulder in time to see an Asari look her way and narrow her eyes in frustration and anger. The crowds did give Sid an advantage though: it prevented the Asari from using biotics. That would attract a lot of attention.

"Fantastic," Sid muttered sarcastically. If Sahahla was as good as she remembered, then the way down the stairs to the C-Sec Academy would be blocked off.

Then she noticed a loud and rather boisterous group of C-Sec Officers heading towards Flux. It wasn't perfect but it would have to do. She picked up the pace once again and used the crowd to create a barrier between them and Sahahla. When the Asari went looking for them behind the crowd, Sid cut through the middle of the loud group, much to the officers' annoyance, and then went down another corridor that would take them to the Presidium.

"What's the plan?" Ace asked as they hurried down the corridor.

"I have no idea," she admitted reluctantly.

"What do you mean? You _did_ have an escape route planned for meeting me?" Ace pressed.

Sid smiled. "Of course I did, Ace. I didn't prepare for Sahahla trying to kill me or you getting injured and having to lug you along too. And it's easier to disappear into thick crowds when you can actually walk and don't stand out."

"Why are you doing this, Ghost? You could have left me behind," Ace asked between clenched teeth.

"I'm just returning the favour," she said softly. "And you still haven't told me where my ship is."

It was a weak lie. They soon managed to reach the elevator up to the Presidium. Sid lowered Ace onto the floor of the elevator and knelt beside him to check the wound. The medi-gel had stopped the bleeding and numbed the pain a bit. He was still pale though.

"What's the next step?" Ace asked.

Sid shrugged. "I'm making this up as I go along." She was silent for a moment. "I need to get to the docks and the only way is through the C-Sec Academy."

"You have a ship?"

"In a manner of speaking…I'm working on the _SSV Normandy_."

Ace gave her a confused look. "That's an Alliance ship."

"It is." There was a pause. "It was either that or go to prison."

"Who am I to judge you, Ghost?"

Sid smiled. She didn't realise how nice it was to hear those words after her time on the _Normandy_ until she heard them. When the elevator started to slow down, Sid stood up again and pulled Ace to his feet.

"We need to get somewhere so we can stay out of sight and we need to find some way to get to the docks," Sid decided.

He nodded in answer as the elevator opened. Sid curiously peeked outside and, once the coast was clear, they ventured forward slowly. It was possible that Sahahla was not working alone and may have help in the Presidium. During the meeting with Ace, Sid had let her guard down and she wasn't about to let it happen a second time. There was a console for the Rapid Transit system by the stairs that led to the elevator that they had just exited. Sid and Ace crouched low in an effort to remain unnoticed. While Ace kept a lookout, Sid inched closer to the console and then brought up her omni-tool so they wouldn't have to go too far out into the open. Although not much hacking was required as the taxi would get there anyway, Sid did tell the taxi to open the doors as it descended so they could quickly get in and pre-programmed their destination.

Once the taxi landed with its open doors, Sid helped Ace over and they clambered in with Sid behind the steering wheel. The taxi promptly took off but they didn't get very far. Sahahla had seen them and she fired a rocket at the taxi. Sid couldn't move it out of the way in time however, instead of the front getting hit, the rocket collided with the rear of the taxi. That was something, she supposed, given the taxi's obvious lack of speed or agility. The taxi crashed quite extravagantly and Sid hit her head against the dash when it came to a sudden stop. The last thing she remembered was Ace calling her name before everything went black.

* * *

><p>Shepard marched onto the <em>Normandy<em>, barely keeping her anger under control. She was using all of her self-control to keep her voice calm and steady while she spoke with a few of the crew members.

She had just finished her visit with Captain Anderson. He had agreed that the data that had been recovered from Feros was definitely worth investigating and had also passed along some information from Admiral Hackett, regarding some assignments the Alliance wished Shepard to complete. Although the assignments were small, it was just a friendly reminder that she was Alliance first and a Spectre second. Thankfully, she had managed to avoid Udina and was considering visiting a few stores to check out their gear when Joker had radioed her.

Apparently, Sid had disappeared for about an hour and then returned, unconscious, being carried by some random man with a limp that was the result of a gunshot wound. Then, just as she entered the C-Sec Academy, she had been cornered by Executor Pallin, demanding to know what the hell Sydney was doing as there were reports that confirmed she had been involved in a shootout and then a taxi that she had been riding in was shot down with a rocket launcher in the middle of the Presidium. Shepard, on the defensive, pulled the "Spectre Card" and told him she could not tell him anything. The Executor walked away angrily muttering under his breath.

Sid's explanation had better be earth-shatteringly good. Shepard continued down the stairs until she reached the Med Bay. Garrus, Wrex, Tali, Ashley and Liara were sitting in the Mess, waiting while Kaidan was in the Med Lab helping Dr Chakwas so Shepard collapsed into one of the empty seats. The crew members that were hanging around suddenly remembered some forgotten task that would take them someplace else.

"What do you know so far?" Shepard asked after forcing herself to take a deep breath.

"Not much," Garrus answered. "A young man came through the airlock carrying Sid who was unconscious and badly injured. He has a few minor scrapes and a gunshot wound to the leg. We tried questioning him but Navigator Pressly sent them to the Med Lab. Alenko is treating the man and hopefully he will be able to answer some questions."

"What do you know?" Ashley asked.

"I'm afraid not much either. Executor Pallin cornered me and demanded answers. Apparently, Sid and her new friend were involved in a shooting in the Upper Wards and then their taxi was hit with a rocket which then promptly crashed."

"Sid sure knows how to have a good time," Wrex commented with a light chuckle.

Shepard regarded the Krogan and spent a few moments wondering when he and Sid had become buddies.

Ashley interrupted her musings. "The man referred to Sid as Ghost."

"And…?" Shepard prompted tersely.

Tali shifted in her seat uncomfortably as if asking Shepard a direct question was unsettling or intimidating. "And we were wondering if she is _the_ Ghost."

"She is," Shepard answered and watched as surprise coloured their features with a small smile.

Shepard had already guessed that the crew had no idea why Sid was a member of the ground team. She did nothing aside from making bad jokes and annoying people but now that they knew she was a smuggler, her presence made more sense. By this time tomorrow, Shepard guessed the entire crew would know about her day job. Kaidan exited the Med Lab and took an empty seat at the table.

"How's Sid?" Shepard asked.

"Dr Chakwas says she has a concussion and will probably be unconscious for a while. The rest of her injuries were mostly superficial," Kaidan answered.

The young man then emerged from the Med Lab, still limping slightly. Shepard beckoned him over and insisted that he take an empty chair. He seemed nervous to be surrounded by a group such as theirs but he obeyed without question. Once he sat down, the group watched him expectantly. When no introductions were forthcoming, Shepard decided to get the ball rolling.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

The man's eyes had been lingering on Garrus before he focused on Shepard. "You can call me Ace."

Well, that was a weird name. "I'm Commander Shepard. How do you know Ghost?"

"I used to be her second in command and pilot of _The Machine_," he answered slowly.

"Why the past tense?" Garrus asked.

Ace shrugged. "After everything she did for me, I betrayed her and nearly got her killed. I shouldn't have done it and it took me a while to realise that. Do the circumstances matter?"

"What do you mean by 'after everything she did' for you?" Tali interrupted.

Ace briefly glanced at the Quarian. "I assume she hasn't told you anything then."

"No. All we know is that she is a smuggler who agreed to help me with my mission and use her contacts to gather information for me," Shepard answered. "She hasn't mentioned anything about her smuggling activities. I'm guessing she was hoping to avoid incriminating herself."

"In part," Ace answered. "If she agreed to help you then she must trust you, even a bit. I don't buy the reason she gave me – she's managed to avoid prison many times before, even when she was already in custody. How? I don't know. She's probably trying to find some sort of balance. Doing the right thing was always important to her."

Shepard was surprised by that bit of information. "Smuggling weapons and other things for criminals hardly sound like doing the right thing."

Ace shrugged. "If you want to do some good in the Terminus Systems then you better have the credits to back it up. Everything comes with a price out there."

"What does that have to do with you?" Liara asked.

"Ghost has a strict 'no slavery' policy. She won't do any sort of job for slavers. Occasionally, she'll accept a job, claiming she needs the credits desperately. Once she gets paid the first half, she finds a safe place to take the slaves on the edge of Terminus Space and then calls someone – usually the Alliance. The credits she accepts for the jobs, she gives back to the slaves so they have a chance to get back on their feet or find a way home. That's how we met," Ace explained.

"You were a slave?" Shepard guessed.

Ace nodded. "It was a few years ago. Ghost had broken away from her boss and started to work freelance. I was part of a shipment that she was able to free. When I told her I had skills with piloting and that I could help her, she took me with her. It did take a lot of convincing though. She didn't think that a life of crime would be beneficial to me."

Perhaps Sid wasn't as bad as Shepard assumed. It was strange to think that doing the right thing was still so important to her. "Why was she meeting you on the Citadel?"

"I wanted to try to make things right between us. Maybe I got sloppy and that's how the assassin found us."

"Why would an assassin go after her?" Kaidan asked.

Ace smiled. "Ghost possesses the talent to piss people off. A lot of people want her dead. The Shadow Broker wants revenge against her for turning a few contacts against him and blowing up another one. Slavers want payback for all the slaves she freed and credits she took away from them. Elanos Haliat wants to teach her a lesson. A couple other smugglers want to stop her stealing jobs from them. One or two terrorist organisations wants to stop her from helping the competition and they suspect her of reporting the location of some of their bases. Pirates don't like the fact that Ghost occasionally gives up information about their impending raids. A few corporations don't like her helping their competition either…the list is endless."

"Why does 'Elanos Haliat' sound so familiar?" Liara interjected quietly.

"Wasn't he the man behind the Skyllian Blitz?" Kaidan guessed.

Shepard sighed and nodded. "He formulated the plan and convinced the pirates and raiders to attack Elysium. Why does he want Ghost dead?"

"Apparently, she had a hand in his downfall. She said someone important to her was on Elysium and she refused to have any part in it. Instead, she sent a message to the Alliance and warned them about the imminent attack. At first, they didn't take the warning seriously but when they realised she had been right, they reacted accordingly," Ace answered.

Shepard was struck speechless. Even though Sid must have been no older than nineteen, she still risked her life for Shepard and betrayed a large group of pirates. And it certainly explained how the Alliance showed up just in time. When she glanced up, she could tell the others were all thinking the same thing: Shepard was that 'someone important' on Elysium. It didn't take much for people to realise that Shepard and Sid had a history though this definitely confirmed it.

"How did you plan on making things right?" Garrus asked when it was clear Shepard was not commenting on this new development.

"I found the location of her ship."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "How did she lose her ship?"

Ace rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably and looked at the table. "I really think you should be talking to her about this."

"Well, Ghost is currently unavailable for questioning," Shepard replied coolly and indicated the Med Lab.

Ace leant back in his chair and regarded Shepard. Shepard just stared right back and a few minutes passed like this. The others sat in silence, trying to figure out what was going on. Shepard guessed he was trying to decide if she could be trusted and if Sid would react badly if he chose to answer the more private questions. Something must have clicked in his mind.

"You wouldn't happen to be Commander _Jo_ Shepard?" he asked suddenly.

"I would. Why?"

Ace visibly relaxed a bit. "That certainly explains a lot."

Shepard was confused but refused to show it. "Are you going to answer the question or not?"

He sighed in defeat. "Fine. The crew of _The Machine_…we…mutinied against Ghost and Tiro stole her ship once he left her on Omega."

Why on earth would Sid agree to meet the man who betrayed her AND do it alone? They were going to have a serious discussion when Sid woke up.

"Why the mutiny?" Ashley asked.

"How else does a mutiny happen? Ghost gave us orders, we didn't agree and we decided to do something about it. Ghost didn't even put up a fight for whatever reason. It didn't take me long to realise that she had been right and we had been wrong," Ace explained.

There was obviously much more to the story but they weren't going to get it from him. It was hard to tell if his silence was due to loyalty or shame though. There was silence as they tried to decide whether or not this man could be trusted. It seemed odd that he would willingly give up this information without a thought for a reward or punishment. Shepard realised that if they wanted anymore information then they would need to talk to Sid.

"What happens now?" Shepard asked Ace.

Ace shrugged. "I didn't think I would live this long. Considering Ghost is now working for you, I guess my fate is in your hands."

"Does Ghost have the location of her ship?" she asked.

Ace shook his head. "And I'll only give it to her."

"Fair enough," Shepard answered. "If Ghost had wanted you dead, I imagine you would already be dead therefore you are free to leave the _Normandy_. I expect you to send her the details."

Ace was surprised and he couldn't believe his luck. "As soon as she is awake, I'll send her a message." He got to his feet and limped away.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Ashley asked once Ace was gone.

Shepard shrugged. "Probably not. Sid could track him down again, if need be."

"Why didn't you tell us Sid is Ghost?" Kaidan asked.

Shepard's patience was nearing its limit even though most of her anger had faded. She was tempted to lay down the law and tell them that it was _her_ ship and she didn't have to tell them everything but she couldn't do it. They deserved an explanation because they trusted her with their lives on a daily basis. She couldn't lose that trust otherwise Saren would win.

"I know I should have told you and for that, I am sorry. I can't give you an answer because I don't really have one. When I first recruited Sid, there were still mixed feelings about Liara being on board and I didn't want to make the situation worse. After that…I guess it was easier to pretend that Sid was just Sid and not Ghost." She looked up and could tell that she was forgiven. "I would prefer it if we could keep her identity secret though. She's only effective as long as people don't know who Ghost really is or that she is working for a Spectre and the Alliance."

"Of course, Commander."

"That goes for you too, Joker," Shepard added slightly louder.

"Aye, aye, Commander," the helmsman answered.

There was still at least two hours left of shore leave for the rest of the crew but the ground team stayed where they were, waiting for Dr Chakwas and there was still a lot of information to process. Eventually, the doctor emerged and Shepard got to her feet.

"Sydney is stable and I expect her to make a full recovery," Dr Chakwas said before anyone could ask.

"What sort of injuries does she have?" Shepard asked.

"She still has a concussion. She bruised a few ribs and there were some other superficial injuries. I expect her to wake up in a few hours however she will most likely be unfit for duty," the doctor explained.

"Of course," Shepard replied. "Thank you, Doctor."

Dr Chakwas returned to the Med Lab while the others headed to their posts. Shepard started to walk towards her quarters, trying to figure out what Sid had been thinking. Shepard could accept the trust issues to a point. Now that Sid had knowingly put her life in danger and could have potentially jeopardised the entire mission, they needed to have a serious discussion. Whether or not Sid liked it, she was now part of a team and she needed to accept that. If she didn't, then their lives were going to be much harder and the mission would certainly be affected too. Shepard had realised that there were still issues between her and Sid. She had hoped that those could be sorted out after the mission…assuming there was an 'after' but perhaps the sooner they fought this out the better everything would be…or so Shepard hoped. Reopening old wounds was never easy and it was undoubtedly going to result in a huge fight. She was _really_ looking forward to bringing up the subject. Once Shepard reached her quarters, she put her datapads down beside her terminal and started to scan through them, if only to keep her mind busy.

Joker already had his orders: once the crew returned, he was to head to the Voyager Cluster for an extremely important assignment. It was just a waiting game now.


	8. Chapter 8

**So…I managed to finish **_**Mass Effect 3**_** in three days, even between sleeping and social engagements (just my luck: my non-existent social life exploded on the weekend I get **_**Mass Effect 3**_**) and I realised two things: one, James Vega is an awesome character, and two, I disagreed with the endings. Hopefully, for those that haven't played it yet, I haven't dissuaded you from playing. It is still an excellent game and I fully recommend it, I am just giving my opinion. Why is all of this relevant, you may ask? It just means I have decided to write a **_**Mass Effect 3**_** sequel with Sid as I already have a better ending planned. I know, I am getting ahead of myself but I enjoy writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it.**

**Chapter 8**

The first thing she realised was her head was throbbing…as was the rest of her body. Then she realised that she was alive…and starving.

It took Sid a few more moments to figure out where she was because her brain was not cooperating: the cold metal beneath her told her she was on some sort of examination table. The obvious lack of restraints meant that she was not a prisoner, rather a patient and the vague smell of disinfectant implied a hospital or medical area. She forced her heavy eyelids to open and was greeted by a white ceiling. Even though it wasn't as bright as she had been expecting, she still needed to squint for a few moments to let her eyes adjust to the light. A chair nearby moved abruptly and light footsteps followed. Apparently, she wasn't alone.

Dr Chakwas then appeared in her line of sight.

Duh. There would have been a doctor. If her head wasn't already sore, Sid would have face palmed at that particular moment. Then she quickly remembered the chain of events that led up to said sore head. Only out of a sense of grim amusement could Sid find the humour in the fact that every time she went to the Citadel, _somehow_ she managed to find trouble. Getting arrested, crashing a taxi in a rather extravagant manner…how someone managed to sneak a rocket launcher onto the Presidium, well it wasn't that surprising, really.

"Sydney," Dr Chakwas greeted softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore."

The doctor smiled kindly. "We have to stop meeting like this."

"Agreed." Sid paused. "How did I get back on the _Normandy_?" she asked quietly.

"Your companion brought you on board. He had a gunshot wound to his leg. Lieutenant Alenko patched him up and Commander Shepard sent him on his way after having a long discussion with him. I'm not sure what it was about though," she answered casually as she checked a few things in her calm doctor demeanour.

That was completely unexpected. Not only was it surprising to find out that Ace had managed to carry her onto the _Normandy_ with his painful limp; it was equally surprising to learn that Jo had allowed him to leave without shooting him or having him arrested. Either he refused to tell them anything or he had somehow convinced Jo to let him leave. Dr Chakwas then helped her to sit up and her legs hung over the side of her cot. For a few moments, everything felt as if it were moving of its own accord and that she was likely to fall over at any given moment. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"How long was I out?" Sid asked while she closed her eyes and waited for everything to stop moving.

"The better part of eight hours."

Sid grimaced in reply. The doors to the Med Lab hissed open and Sid opened her eyes to see Jo enter the room, looking displeased. This was going to be interesting. Dr Chakwas was not even remotely surprised to see Jo's unannounced arrival. Sid suspected that Jo had been waiting for her to wake up.

"Commander."

"Dr Chakwas," Jo returned the greeting. "How is Sid?"

Sid, for the time being, found the floor to be far more interesting than watching Jo's eyes narrow in suspicion or disappointment, depending on which direction the conversation went in. It was funny to think that even now, she was afraid to disappoint her big sister. It was one of the reasons she agreed to help on this ridiculous mission, but she now realised that that particular ship had sailed many years ago. There was no way to live up to Jo's reputation: a graduate of the N7 training, the Hero of the Skyllian Blitz, the first Human Spectre…so why bother trying?

"There does not appear to be any permanent damage and the majority of her injuries should heal within the next few days. Sydney also hit her head rather hard so I would prefer to keep her here for observation until further notice just to make sure there aren't any serious underlying problems," the doctor reported. "I expect that she will make a full recovery."

"That is good news." Jo's tone was not exactly happy. It was…a forced calm that Sid had come to expect from their mother and had called it the 'calm before the shit storm'. "Dr Chakwas, would you mind giving Sid and me a few minutes? There are matters I wish to discuss in private."

There was a brief pause and Sid sincerely hoped that Dr Chakwas would not allow it. It would be impossible to put this discussion off forever. Perhaps it could at least wait until her brain was working properly and was not clouded with pain medication.

"Of course, Commander. However I must request that you do not exert Sydney. I expect she is still suffering from dizziness and light-headedness."

Or not.

"Understood, Doctor."

Dr Chakwas retreated to the Mess and the silence dragged by. This was going to be unpleasant. Sid slowly looked up and found Jo standing close to her cot. Her arms were folded across her chest and her right finger tapped at her left elbow impatiently. Sid tried to guess what was going to come first: the untold message from a former crewmate, meeting him behind her back, blowing up a taxi in the crowded Presidium, not that it had been _entirely_ her fault…

"What were you thinking?" Jo demanded angrily. Here we go. "Going off to meet a man who betrayed you _alone_? You could have been seriously injured, Sid."

It certainly was unexpected. Between Sid's throbbing head, empty stomach and general irritation, she found it incredibly hard to reign in the emotions she had kept bundled up inside her ever since reuniting with Jo. She wouldn't readily admit that she was bitter about everything and she often preferred to hide these feelings, although she couldn't resist the temptation to get under Jo's skin. The galaxy was just so much easier to deal with when everything was a big joke and it helped bury the pain and it kept her from having to deal with the horrible memories or coming to terms with what had happened in the past. So, in answer, she scoffed which certainly surprised Jo.

"Is something funny?" Jo asked.

Sid shrugged and managed to ignore the stiffness. "I just find it hard to believe that you actually care about my wellbeing." Jo's anger disappeared and was replaced by confusion. This only infuriated Sid even more. "Thirteen years, Jo. _Thirteen _years have gone by since the Batarians raided Mindoir and you did nothing. You didn't try to find me. You were so ready to close the book on the past that you accepted what you were told without a second thought. And now, suddenly you care?" Sid replied in an icy tone and then scoffed again. "_Please_."

Jo's brow creased into a frown. "I thought you were dead, Sid. What did you expect me to do?"

"I don't know," Sid argued angrily. "Maybe not give up? Did you even _try_ to look?"

Jo remained silent for a few moments and it was pretty obvious she was starting to get angry too. "I watched my friends die, Sid. I watched Mom and Dad die. And then Dax got me to the Marines so I could watch him die too. And where were you? At the school for another disciplinary hearing. I had no reason to believe that you had survived."

Sid got to her feet in anger and her hands were clenched in fists at her side. She didn't even notice that the rest of the Medical Bay was spinning. "First of all, I wasn't at the school for a disciplinary meeting. I can't believe you think so little of me but I shouldn't be surprised. You're so much like Mom and Dad, it's scary."

Before she could get to her next point, Jo interrupted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I was always the screw up, Jo, no matter what I did. Dax was always going to inherit the farm and you were always going to follow in Mom's footsteps. Me? I was in the background. When I forgot to do chores or got into trouble at school, it was the only time Mom and Dad remembered they had a third kid. And don't look at me like that. I tried to be the good kid, I really did. It didn't help. I was the invisible child. And you were no better."

"Things weren't that bad, Sid. You're exaggerating," Jo argued defensively.

Sid raised an eyebrow. "Really? Can you even name one time when we had an actual conversation that didn't involve you bragging about your straight A report card or trying to tell me what to do?"

Jo opened her mouth to argue and then closed it again, apparently coming up empty.

"Exactly," Sid confirmed.

Apparently, Jo decided she was just as angry as Sid. "Well, if you had been at home then Mom, Dad and Dax would still be alive!"

"How do you figure that?" Sid challenged.

"We didn't know where you were so we started looking for you, wasting time when we could have been getting to safety!" Jo yelled back.

Sid was silent for a moment. It was new information that didn't quite add up…no, she refused to feel guilty about something that was not her fault. "That's not fair, Jo! If Mom and Dad were more approachable then I would have told them exactly where I was going."

"Are you blaming Mom and Dad now?" Jo countered disapprovingly.

"What?!" Sid demanded indignantly. "Of course not! I'm just saying…if you had spared even one second to think about me…things would be different."

"How can you be so sure?" Jo challenged.

"Because I sent you messages," Sid answered evenly. "I had my omni-tool and I sent you message after message to your email for weeks after Mindoir, trying to get an answer but I never got one so I gave up." By this point, her voice was starting to crack due to emotion. She never spoke about this to anyone, not even Ace.

Jo shook her head in disbelief. "What do you mean 'weeks'?"

Sid looked away from Jo. "Not all of us were lucky enough to get rescued by the Alliance," she answered quietly and leant against her cot for extra support. Being so angry took a lot out of her.

They stood in silence, Sid trying to keep calm and not pass out while Jo…well, judging from her confusion, she was trying to figure out what to say next. Sid understood that she probably wasn't being very fair to Jo. For the time being, she didn't care. She had kept her emotions, thoughts and true feelings about what had happened hidden beneath a shield of humour and an air of taking credits over people. It had worked for a long time and using half-truths helped fabricate a life that felt better living with but now that she was faced with Jo, she couldn't do it anymore.

"You were taken by the Batarians?" Jo eventually asked.

Sid nodded, still refusing to look at her. "I was lucky. The slavers who found me dragged me out and I put up a fight, managed to escape and I ended up running into another Batarian, quite literally. The others wanted me dead but he…he said he liked my spirit and that he may have a use for me. As it turned out, he wasn't one of the slavers, just one of the smugglers that had been hired for the job. He took me with him, taught me the trade. Even though I was a prisoner, I was still alive and I kept holding onto the thought that you would look at your email and come to my rescue. You never did so I gave up. I stopped resisting and became a smuggler. It took me a few months and couple of news reports of what had been done to the others for me to realise that my life had been saved. Not by you and not by the Alliance. A Batarian had saved my life. Isn't that just ironic?" Sid then finally looked up at Jo and narrowed her eyes angrily. "And then the guy who I owed my life to gets killed by the Alliance for simply being a Batarian who just happened to be on Torfan. He did a lot of good and just because he belonged to one species, he deserved to die. Just like when you learnt I'm a smuggler. Suddenly, I'm the scourge of the galaxy."

"Batarians did raid Elysium, Sid," Jo argued defensively. She clearly did not like the Alliance being criticized.

"I'm not naïve, Jo, but it looks like you are. I am fully aware of what Batarians have done in the past. Hell, I was even supposed to be a part of the Skyllian Blitz. It doesn't mean the entire species should be condemned for the mistakes others make. The First Contact War has twisted some humans' views of Turians yet there's a Turian on board this vessel. What makes the Turians any different from the Batarians? Or Humans for that matter? We aren't exactly saints either," Sid argued right back.

Jo had no argument for that, much to Sid's surprise. They continued to stare at each other angrily, each willing the other to stand down. Sid was fully aware that she had revealed quite a bit to Jo, some which she had not intended to show. She never meant to let Jo know just how bitter she was and perhaps a bit jealous. If Jo had just looked…well, maybe they would have joined the Alliance together and Sid could now be living a life very similar to hers. Out of the corner of her eye, Sid realised that quite a few crew members were standing outside the window, trying to find out what was happening and why they were fighting. Scuttlebutt was going to have a field day with this.

Jo huffed in annoyance and then marched out the Med Lab in a very commander-like fashion. Sid took a deep breath to try to calm herself down a bit and looked out the window. The crew members suddenly scurried away in different directions. It didn't take Dr Chakwas very long to return and she quickly forced Sid back onto her cot, muttering something about Marines not following her instructions while she checked to make sure Sid was actually fine. Now that her anger had dissipated, she was suddenly aware of a dull throbbing in her head and a slight dizziness. On the plus side, unleashing a bit of her anger did make her feel a bit better. At Dr Chakwas' insistence, Sid slowly closed her eyes and drifted into an uneasy sleep with memories of Mindoir floating around in her dreams.

* * *

><p>Joker silently examined the various screens in front of him as the <em>Normandy<em> hovered above the planet of Agebinium of the Amazon System in the Voyager Cluster while the Commander, Kaidan and Ash went off to complete some or other assignment for Admiral Hackett. He didn't know the details. He didn't need to know them either. He was just the pilot and if his curiosity got the better of him, he did have full access to communications. His current position did grant him the luxury of musing over the past few weeks though as he continued to look over his various dials mechanically.

Ever since Commander Shepard was named the first Human Spectre, the entire crew knew the mission would be exciting, especially considering that the mission was to hunt down a rogue Spectre (who was widely known as _the_ best Spectre) and his large army of Geth. And then Sid had joined the crew. Apparently, they had no idea how exciting things could get before she signed on and sent scuttlebutt into overdrive.

Before, the rumours were pretty standard for an Alliance ship:

Engineer Adams wanted to replace the other engineers with Tali'Zorah. Lieutenant Alenko was sweet on the Commander (Joker nearly wet himself laughing when he heard this one). Dr T'Soni was also attracted to the Commander in a way that went beyond her interest in the Prothean beacon. Dr T'Soni was passing along information to her mother which was why they had yet to find Saren. Garrus was a spy for Saren – this particular one was the result of some members of the crew who still had hard feelings about the First Contact War and disliked Turians in general. And many suspected that the Council was still helping Saren evade the Commander, for a variety of reasons, the most common of which was to make Humanity look stupid.

There were some more ridiculous rumours going around and yet, not one mentioned anything bad about the Commander or her decisions to bring the non-humans on board. No one blamed the Commander for what happened to Captain Anderson either, even though she blamed herself, and they all approved of her efforts to keep the Captain in the loop while infuriating Ambassador Udina at the same time. Joker helped when he could on this matter, even if the Commander wasn't entirely aware of his efforts. They had spent a few hours thinking up all sorts of names for the man though, usually when the other crew members went ashore and the Commander did not. And then scuttlebutt became entirely focused on Sid:

Who was she? How did she know the Commander? Why was she here? Why did the Commander agree to bring her along?

Many answers to these questions were just outright stupid that Joker had to shake his head at them. He had had many conversations with Sid and he liked her. She knew enough about piloting and ships to strike up a conversation and at the same time, she also knew her place was not to drill Joker or question his skills. They also shared a mutual like for sarcasm and jokes. She was easy to talk to and she barely even blinked when Joker had told her about his Vrolik's Syndrome (Sid hadn't asked but Joker, in his relaxed state, had let something slip which then needed a further explanation). And she didn't make fun of his lack of experience dealing with non-Alliance women even though his occasional blunder did amuse her. He had to wonder why some people didn't just ask Sid. He had asked her a few questions and while her answers were vague, in an effort to protect the Commander, they did not reveal any intent to do harm to anyone.

And then they made their quick stop at the Citadel and Sid was badly injured. Once again, many members of the crew spent their time trying to figure out what had happened based on what little information they had. It was annoying. He was mostly concerned with how Sid was doing and not so much the 'what'. The Commander had allowed her to return to the ship and, if the rumours were true, already had an argument with her although no one knew what about as the Med Lab was soundproofed and yet she still counted Sid as a member of the crew. That was good enough for Joker. And the fact that he was in the loop on Sid's identity as Ghost didn't affect his opinion either.

"Mind if I join you?" a soft voice asked from behind.

Joker looked over his shoulder and was surprised to see Sid standing there. Apart from looking pale and a noticeable bump with a few stitches on her forehead, she looked fine if a bit tired and distracted.

"Sure," Joker answered and she sat in the chair to his left, her usual spot.

"Thanks," Sid answered and leant her head back, closing her eyes.

Joker watched her for a few moments before returning to his consoles. "I wasn't expecting the Doc to release you so soon."

Sid smirked at the use of 'release'. "Well, with her constant hovering, I felt like I was going to spontaneously develop something fatal which made me nervous and I haven't always liked hospitals or medical personnel. After pointing out it wasn't exactly a healthy attitude to have while recovering, she agreed that I could leave the Med Lab on one condition: I don't cause any trouble or do anything that requires a lot of energy. And it's quieter up here, not so many people staring at me and trying to guess what happened."

"And I was hoping for some excitement," Joker replied.

Sid chuckled softly at that, her eyes still closed. "Be careful what you wish for, Joker."

They descended into a companionable silence while Sid continued to doze and Joker tried to find something to pass the time, considering his usual method was a bit inappropriate what with present company. He still found it hard to believe that the woman sitting beside him was Ghost. A sudden thought occurred to him and he couldn't stop the snicker that followed.

"Care to share the joke?" Sid asked casually and opened her eyes.

"It's just…Ghost on a Spectre's ship."

Sid was quiet for a moment and then she smiled too. "I hadn't thought of that." And then she paused for a moment. "I wasn't aware that you knew about my…day job, as it were."

Joker shrugged, it didn't change his opinion of her. "It came up while you were still unconscious. Only the ground squad knows and we agreed to keep quiet about it."

"Thank you."

Joker smiled. He got the feeling she wasn't just thanking him for keeping the secret.

"Do you get the feeling that the Council and Udina are setting Jo up to fail?" Sid abruptly asked.

He was aware that most of the crew felt that way. Personally, he didn't put much thought into it. Politics was way over his head. "Why?"

Sid shrugged and winced briefly. "Saren used to be the best Spectre they had. Those skills don't disappear overnight nor does his network. He has friends in a lot of places that are still helping him and the Council hasn't forwarded any of this information to Jo. They manoeuvre this…Captain Anderson off of the _Normandy_, a man with a lot of experience as a leader and dealing with Saren but instead of giving him an advisory position to help Jo, they stick him on the bench, so to speak, and all meetings between him and Jo are monitored by Udina. And somehow, there have not been any sightings of Saren since his Spectre status was taken away, almost as if he knows where Jo stands. The only help the Council actually gives is the forwarding of all of his past cases and those are pretty useless."

Joker silently considered this. "Are you saying the Council is sabotaging us?"

"Maybe not intentionally. Don't you find it weird that the media seem to have no problems finding Jo? All Saren has to do is watch the news. And I'm pretty sure he still has friends on the Citadel though I don't have any proof."

"But isn't that what you're here for? Besides creating excitement wherever you go, aren't you in charge of information gathering?" he teased.

Sid caught on to his teasing tone. "That's not all I'm here for."

"Oh?"

"I also bring style."

They smiled at each other. Sid did raise some excellent points though, not that Joker could do much about that. After a few moments, they changed the topic to what ships could possibly stand a chance against the _Normandy_ and by the time Jo radioed for a pickup, they had come to the conclusion that no ship in the whole galaxy stood a chance against his baby.

* * *

><p>Shepard's day started to go downhill when she and Sid got into their argument. Once she left the Med Lab, she discovered that the Mess was extremely busy with pretty much every crew member that wasn't on duty and perhaps a few that were. Suddenly, she was quite glad that the room was soundproofed as many crew members watched her pass. They had no idea what had happened and Shepard wasn't in a mood to enlighten them or talk openly about Mindoir. Instead, she retreated to her quarters to buy some time to think. She had been wrong about so many things and because of that, she had lost her sister. Shepard had always thought she had a good relationship with her siblings; she had never fought with Dax but she never realised just how Sid had felt.<p>

Much of her time was spent thinking about something that she had filed under "never think about under any circumstances": the raid on Mindoir and the hours that had led up to it. It had been the beginning of the school holidays and they were all supposed to be helping out on the farm. Except for Sid who was at the school for some mysterious reason. If only she had been at the farm when she was supposed to be…Mom and Dad would still be alive. She finally realised that she had been angry with Sid for all of these years which was another reason she disliked thinking about the raid.

But playing the 'what if' game didn't help anyone. There was no way to know how events would have turned out if things had been different. Shepard had been unfair to Sid, in quite a few different ways. Blaming her for the deaths of many; just accepting that Sid was dead and leaving her to be a prisoner of the Batarians because she couldn't deal with the past; giving up on her completely…At least Shepard finally understood why Sid disliked the Alliance. She needed to find some way to make things right between them. Her brooding and attempts at coming up with a plan to fix things were interrupted by Joker when he informed her that they were in the Amazon System.

It was time to handle an "uncomfortable" situation, as Admiral Hackett put it, by disabling a nuclear probe that had somehow survived the days from the First Contact War. Shepard had promised discretion which was the reason behind her decision to bring Kaidan and Ash along. Non-Alliance members didn't need to know the reason behind this particular assignment. Disabling an Alliance nuke from the First Contact War wasn't even the worst thing that had happened…

The situation quickly went from "uncomfortable" to "suspicious" in record time. The signal from the nuke was coming from _inside_ a mine. It hadn't crashed, rather someone had taken the time to track down the nuke and move it somewhere as a trap. And as luck would have it, that someone just happened to be Elanos Haliat. Maybe while discussing Sid's background, they had done the "Beatlejuice" thing and said his name one too many times; forcing him to crawl out from whatever rock he was hiding beneath. The confrontation had not been pleasant. Since Elysium, Elanos Haliat had been some faceless demon responsible for the death of hundreds of people, something that could be easily pushed to the back of her mind.

Despite all of the horrors and deaths, Elysium made Shepard who she was today and was probably responsible for her current Spectre status. Rather than burying Elysium, she held it close to learn from what happened and to remember those that died, even if she didn't know them personally. Elanos Haliat was her "bogeyman" and she had accepted that the Terminus Systems was too large for her to track him down. Over the years, the need for revenge had disappeared entirely. However, coming face to face with him stirred up those long forgotten feelings of anger and guilt. Now, there was also disgust, knowing that he was a human who was no better than the Batarians. The argument with Sid had also clouded things.

Shepard had been forced to kill him out of self-defence. Even then, it did not make her feel better. Since the gun fight that followed their exit from the mine, Shepard had been particularly quiet. Even though he tried to hide it, Kaidan was worried. At least, he kept his thoughts to himself. Shepard couldn't think about someone else's worries too. By the time they returned to the _Normandy_, her mood had not improved. She barely even registered Joker and Sid sitting together and laughing at some or other joke, until she was standing behind the pair.

"Hey, Commander," Joker greeted happily.

Shepard was surprised to realise that she was envious of Joker's relationship with Sid. In a fraction of the time, they got along better than Shepard and Sid ever did in their entire history. She quickly pushed those thoughts away.

"Jo," Sid greeted less enthusiastically.

"You're not in the Med Lab," Shepard stated, finally coming off of auto-pilot.

Judging by Sid's expression, she fought extremely hard to not be sarcastic. "Nope although I'm not fit for duty."

Shepard nodded her head once. "Did you know that Haliat was in the area?"

Sid's brow creased in a frown. "I'm assuming we're talking about Elanos?"

"How many other Haliats do you know?" Shepard snapped impatiently.

"Fair enough," Sid allowed slowly, picking up on Shepard's foul mood and choosing to be professional even despite how their last conversation had gone. "And to answer your question: no. From what I hear, he is _the_ most hated person in the Terminus Systems after the Skyllian Blitz. You know things are bad when even the Batarian slavers hate you. Last I heard, he was trying to scrounge up some credits for a big comeback. That was years ago though."

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Shepard demanded irritably, her anger about the Skyllian Blitz surfacing.

Sid raised an eyebrow. "It's not like there's a Scumbag Lottery in the Terminus Systems. Getting credits together takes a lot of time and it takes even longer when no one will give you work and everyone wants you dead."

Shepard sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her right hand. This was not Sid's fault. "You're right, Sid. I'm sorry."

She looked up in time to catch Sid exchange a glance with Joker that definitely said "Did she just admit that I'm right _and_ apologise?" which received an innocent shrug in return.

Instead of commenting, Sid ventured a guess. "I'm assuming you just defeated his huge comeback?"

Shepard nodded. "He trapped us in a mine with a nuke. He figured killing me, the reason for the Skyllian Blitz failing and Humanity's first Spectre, would get him back his reputation."

"Huh," Sid responded. "The man is stupider than I thought."

"I'm afraid to ask," Joker began, "but how do you figure that?"

"One, he thought using a nuke would be a smart idea. Two, he thought a nuke would stop Jo. Three, he thought it would salvage his reputation. Four, if he actually killed Jo, it would undoubtedly start a war with the Alliance and possibly the Council, if there's enough pressure. And five, he thought he would survive an encounter with Jo," Sid explained and ticked each one off with her fingers.

Shepard had to smile, as did Joker.

"Why wouldn't killing the Commander be enough?" the helmsman asked. "It sounds like a solid plan to me."

Sid smiled. "Well, an epic fail of that magnitude? Jo's untimely death wouldn't be enough for him to regain his entire reputation after the Skyllian Blitz. To do that, he would need to destroy all Alliance interests and kill any Alliance personnel in the Terminus Systems. Even if he survived the Alliance's response, it would still only recover a fraction of his reputation. How does that saying go? 'A reputation takes a lifetime to build but only a second to destroy'? In the Terminus Systems, a reputation is all you have. You lose that; you may as well give up and get yourself arrested. Then factor in his cowardice. He would rather run and hide or set traps to do his dirty work. No one trusts him."

Shepard silently considered this new information. It certainly provided some insight into operating in the Terminus Systems. "Thanks for the information, Sid. If you'll excuse me, I need to report to Admiral Hackett."

With that, she turned around and headed to her office. She was a lot calmer after speaking with Sid, surprisingly enough, and she wanted to speak with Hackett before she started thinking about Elysium again. It wasn't because Sid had managed to cheer her up, rather, it allowed Shepard's thoughts to go into a more logical direction, providing her with the state of mind to evaluate the facts. It was far easier to give a report with only the facts. Once she finished reporting to Admiral Hackett, she sent orders to Navigator Pressly: tell Joker to head for the Maroon Sea Cluster and that she was not to be disturbed until they arrived. It wasn't healthy to brood over the past but Elysium was an important milestone in her life and deserved some reflection, now that there was some more information to fill in the blanks.


	9. Chapter 9

**This chapter is a bit shorter compared to earlier chapters but the next chapter is going to be really exciting as Sid is going to go onto **_**The Machine**_** so – in theory – it will more than make up for this shorter chapter. **

**Thank you for your reviews, favourites and alerts, I really appreciate them all.**

**And please read, enjoy and then review!**

**Chapter 9**

The torch was moved from right to left then right again slowly. Sid followed the light patiently as Dr Chakwas moved it to check for any remaining symptoms of her concussion. It was the last test after a string of other tests – reflexes, blood pressure, even an eye test - and Sid suspected that Dr Chakwas had used it as an excuse to perform a physical and a check-up and not just a follow up. Doctors, hospitals and waiting rooms were not exactly her favourite things so she had managed to avoid any form of examination on the _Normandy_ unless she was injured and given her "fugitive" status, her medical records weren't exactly accurate either. The most recent were written up by doctors paid to keep quiet and even then, it was only relevant to those injuries that needed patching up. And they were under an alias.

Dr Chakwas didn't say a word about Sid's obvious dislike of everything medical. It must have come from dealing with fussy Marines and the stubborn Commander Shepard that allowed Dr Chakwas to do her job without the patient realising what she was up to until it was too late. Dr Chakwas switched the small torch off and then straightened up to consult a nearby datapad. Sid blinked a few times to readjust to the ambient lighting of the Med Lab. In the time it took to travel to the Maroon Sea Cluster, the bump on her head had healed somewhat and the assortment of other injuries had mostly healed, leaving behind a vague stiffness that wasn't noticeable until she really exerted herself. She watched Dr Chakwas closely, waiting for the assessment because being able to do next to nothing was getting boring.

After a few long minutes dragged by, Sid couldn't take it anymore. "What's the diagnosis, doc?"

Dr Chakwas smiled. "You certainly do heal quickly, Sydney."

Sid was confused. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? And what did that mean? Was she free to leave? Or was she going to be stuck on the _Normandy_ for the foreseeable future?

"She always did," Jo replied as she entered the Med Lab.

Sid was surprised to see her sister after their extremely angry argument and the distracted conversation about Haliat. "Uh…thanks?"

Jo smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She then looked at Dr Chakwas for the next question. "Is she cleared for duty?"

"I don't see why not, Commander," Dr Chakwas answered, still peering at her datapad. "However, if you feel any dizziness or light headedness, then you must come see me immediately. And also try to avoid any future head injuries."

"Of course," Sid replied with a small smile. She didn't feel it was necessary to explain that, as a rule, she generally tried to avoid head injuries even though they still seemed to happen. Like gunshot wounds and trouble. Despite her best efforts to avoid those, they tended to find her too.

Satisfied with her decision, Dr Chakwas returned the datapad to a file amongst all of her other patient files and then sat down at her desk, busying herself almost immediately. Sid slid off the cot and put her leather jacket back on. She had to remove it for Dr Chakwas to run her various tests. Jo nodded her head toward the door and they walked out together, a bit awkwardly. Well, it was awkward for Sid. She still had no idea where she stood with Jo and even though an apology would be nice, it probably wouldn't come. Jo had also been pretty quiet after the last mission. Normally, Sid wouldn't have taken much notice of it – it wasn't every day that a crazed arch nemesis trapped one in a mine with a nuclear probe – because a mission like that would have affected anyone.

However, this particular instance was worth noticing. Jo's sudden quiet behaviour had an effect on the other ground team members, particularly Lieutenant Alenko. The other ground team members had even been arguing over who should attempt to cheer the Commander up. Tali had even nervously approached Sid and suggested she give it a shot. Sid replied jokingly that it would probably involve _her_ getting shot and then told the Quarian not to worry. Jo's conscience often demanded a lot from her and every now and then, Jo would spend some time brooding. It was normal for Jo and she would snap out of it in a few days. It was also likely exhaustion. The visions from the Prothean Beacon and the Cipher made it hard for Jo to sleep. Apparently, Sid had made sense because, so far, no one had yet approached Jo.

Sid noticed said lieutenant look up when they exited the Med Lab and appeared relieved, for some or other reason. Perhaps he had been worried Jo had hurt herself or something along those lines. There weren't many good explanations for someone visiting the doctor, especially on an Alliance vessel. Or perhaps that was just Sid's bias against medical stuff talking. Whatever the reason, Sid and Jo continued to walk on in silence until Jo led her down the corridor towards the batteries, beyond the lockers and behind the lieutenant. Jo only stopped walking when she was satisfied that they were out of earshot of anyone and they could easily see the comings and goings of everyone. Her expression was hard to read so Sid had no idea what to expect.

Eventually, Jo sighed. "Sid, we need to talk."

Deflecting the situation with humour, Sid responded with "Oh my God! You're breaking up with me!"

Jo raised an eyebrow even though there was a hint of amusement. "Very funny. This is serious."

"Sorry," Sid apologised even though she wasn't even remotely sorry. She hated serious talks because they generally ended badly. "Habit. Please continue."

Jo took a deep breath, preparing for the worst. "I owe you an apology, Sid. You were right to yell at me, it was the wakeup call I needed. There's a lot I can say but I will understand if you cannot forgive me. You're my sister and always have been. I haven't been a very good sister to you, even when I had convinced myself otherwise. It's easy to blame someone else for your problems. It also wasn't fair of me to blame you for Mindoir. Perhaps we could start over?"

Sid listened with a neutral expression and was quite stunned by what she had heard. Perhaps this was one of the reasons for Jo's silence: not only was she dwelling on Elysium but she had also been pondering how to apologise. A part of Sid wanted to tell her that it wasn't so easy, that so much time had passed that perhaps their relationship couldn't be fixed. That was an outright lie though. Anything could be fixed with enough time and effort. All things worth fixing usually needed a lot of both. Another question sprung to mind. What would their repaired relationship do to Ghost and the successful smuggling ring? Sid didn't want to think about that particular future. Right now, she needed to be entirely focused on Jo's mission: to hunt down and defeat Saren and there was a possibility not everyone would survive. Worrying that far into the future was pointless at the moment.

"No, we can't," Sid answered evenly, much to Jo's surprise. "We are sisters and families stick together, no matter what. The good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between. If we start over, we won't have any mistakes to learn from or blackmail material."

Jo smiled. "Fair enough. There are two things I don't understand about you, though."

Sid raised both of her eyebrows. "What's that?"

"Firstly, why were you at the school anyway?" Jo asked.

It was a reasonable question. "One of the reasons why I was such a troublemaker was because the work bored me so I got easily distracted. My teachers suggested going into one of the schools for gifted children. When I told them we couldn't afford it, they planned on moving me into high school early."

Jo was surprised by that answer and decided to move on to her next question before she said something she regretted. "How do you go from a bad comedian to actually sounding smart about something?"

Sid considered the question for a moment. "Honestly, I have no idea. And I am not a bad comedian. I'm an acquired taste."

Jo made an "Uh huh" and looked at her sceptically. Sid had left herself wide open for insults with that comment, mainly because Jo needed an emotional outlet, even if she wouldn't admit it. If she kept all of her emotions bottled up, it was not going to end well. And based on her facial expression, she had a few good insults lined up but before she could voice any of them, Joker interrupted. Sid was almost disappointed…almost.

"Commander, you may want to get up here."

Jo and Sid shared a curious glance before heading towards the cockpit. It was going to take a while for them to completely trust each other. At least they had made some progress. Perhaps this mission wasn't all doom and gloom.

"What's the problem, Joker?" Jo asked when they reached the helmsman.

"There's a ship drifting out there. It isn't responding to any of our hails although there isn't a distress beacon either. It could be nothing…" Joker answered.

"Or it could be something," Jo concluded thoughtfully.

While they had been talking, Sid had managed to get some information about the ship. The name was clear and it was definitely unique. As it wasn't an Alliance vessel or along those lines, the information was easily accessible because it was in the public archives and didn't need high clearance or hacking. Using her omni-tool, she quickly read through the information.

"It's the _MSV Cornucopia_, a Kowloon Class ship registered to ExSolar Shipping in the Sol System," Sid read aloud. "The crew hasn't reported in for about a week."

"So, there is a reason why we keep you around," Jo commented dryly. "I suppose it's worth investigating. Joker, dock the _Normandy_. And tell Lieutenant Alenko and Garrus to suit up. They'll be joining me"

"Aye, aye, Commander."

Sid frowned. Dr Chakwas had given her the all clear to return to active duty and she wanted to shoot something. Even though it hadn't been long since she was confined to the _Normandy_ and forbidden from doing pretty much everything, Sid was still restless. It was more the fact that she had been forbidden that made her want to do something even more. It was like that even when growing up. Mom would tell her: don't eat that cookie until after dinner. Naturally, Sid would try to think up every possible way to sneak a cookie out of the kitchen and eat it before dinner, even if she hadn't particularly wanted it that much in the first place.

Jo must have seen her face because she quickly explained. "Dr Chakwas may have cleared you but I want you to sit this one out, just in case. We don't know what to expect on the ship so for the time being, until Dr Chakwas is completely satisfied that your concussion is healed, you're staying here. I can't do my job properly if I'm worrying about your concussion either."

Unfortunately, it made perfect sense. Another concussion in such a short amount of time would only end up causing Sid to sit out longer and maybe even result in permanent damage. It would be beneficial to remain patient in the long run. So Sid reluctantly nodded her head in agreement and Jo headed towards her locker. After a few moments of indecision, Sid decided to return to the Mess and get something to eat. As she sat down and noticed the curious looks from some of the crew members – presumably wondering what she was still doing here - her omni-tool beeped. A new message had just been received.

_Ghost_

_I hope you have recovered by now. I promised Commander Shepard that I would forward all information regarding _The Machine_ to you once you had some time to recover. I admit, the information is superficial at best. My information network consists of public extranet articles and whatever I can get from drunk people so it in no way compares with your own. This being said, I am quite surprised you didn't attempt to track down your own ship._

_Nevertheless, this is what I have: Tiro accepted a job from the Shadow Broker to transport an item of Geth technology from Eden Prime shortly after the Geth invasion. Whatever it was, I cannot say. Within a few days, the majority of the crew members wanted nothing to do with the job and promptly left at varying times and at different places. _The Machine_ dropped out of contact shortly after the last crew member abandoned ship. There have been reports of small groups of people going missing and a ship matching _The Machine_'s description being seen in the system but details are sketchy at best. Recently, it was seen in the Vostok System in the Maroon Sea Cluster, just drifting through space. Apparently, it's been there for a while, since before I contacted you last. Some suspect it ran out of fuel._

_I hope you manage to get your stuff back. I know this won't make you trust me again nor do I expect your forgiveness. I'm just doing what I feel is right. At least you managed to teach me something._

_Good luck_

_Ace_

Sid had to read the message over three times before she fully processed it. The drifting in space sounded suspiciously similar to what was happening to the _MSV Cornucopia_ and it was odd that they were both in the same system. Perhaps it was merely coincidence. And if Jo had made Ace promise to send the information then maybe, just maybe she would agree _The Machine_ was worth investigating. It wasn't exactly out of the way and Sid could retrieve quite a few things that would prove useful in their mission. She silently contemplated the situation before typing up her reply.

_Ace_

_Thank you for the information. I didn't go searching for _The Machine_ for many reasons. As far as I am concerned though, you lost the right to know them._

_Stay safe and watch your back_

_Ghost_

Sid clicked on send. It was a short message but it was necessary. Even though Ace had stabbed her in the back and betrayed her, she didn't want him dead, strangely enough. And if she was honest, she really wasn't surprised that Tiro had been stupid enough to accept a job from the Shadow Broker. He was excellent with guns and that was about it. He followed orders like any good Turian however he was also headstrong and arrogant. Plus he _really_ loved credits. He would never have lasted as a leader. It was the reason why he left military life behind: the pay wasn't good enough so he left and was labelled a deserter hence the life of crime. Sid shook her head to stop dwelling on the past and concentrated on eating her plate of…gunk.

Her plate was almost clean when her omni-tool pinged. At first, she assumed it was a new message, probably a reply from Ace. Then she realised it was the wrong sound. It was the sound of an incoming video communication. Sid tapped her omni-tool and was surprised to see Jo on her screen, looking a bit breathless but otherwise fine.

"_You aren't wearing your radio,"_ Jo said in answer to the confused face.

"I wasn't aware my services would be needed," Sid replied.

"_I need you on board to access the ship's logs. We took care of everything so you won't need a weapon,"_ Jo ordered.

Sid nodded. "How will I find you?"

"_Just follow the trail of dead husks,"_ Garrus put in from somewhere behind Jo.

Sid smiled and nodded. Jo terminated the call a moment later. Sid got to her feet and headed to the airlock. Garrus hadn't been kidding when he said there was a trail of husks that would lead straight to them. Of course, just saying they would be in the bridge was too easy. Once she arrived, after trying her hardest to avoid the husk remains (there was no sense in getting her boots dirty) and weave herself around the many crates stacked in the central chamber, she approached the bridge's main computer and hacked her way in. Even though it wasn't particularly difficult, being a commercial ship, it was still fun to get back into computers for once.

"According to these logs, the ship was out in the Perseus Veil. Apparently, they stumbled on some sort of alien artefact," she explained, scanning the logs quickly. "Naturally they just had to bring it on board and…"

"And…what?" Jo prompted when Sid's brow furrowed in confusion.

"And…they plotted a course directly for the Perseus Veil, almost as if they wanted to be found by the Geth."

"That is strange," Jo replied. "Do the logs say anything else?"

Sid was silent as she continued to search the files. "After that, the logs don't make much sense. The words are disjointed and mostly gibberish, like the captain was slowly losing his mind. There's nothing obvious that provides an explanation as to how the ship drifted back into human territory."

Jo remained silent, considering the implications of the information.

"The Geth turned them into husks and left the ship where someone would find it," Lieutenant Alenko guessed. "Trying to show us what happens to anyone who goes into the Veil."

It certainly was a good theory and it did make some sense. Jo led the way back to the _Normandy_ and Sid noticed two rooms that were filled with Dragon's Teeth. It was hard to believe that those spikes were responsible for turning ordinary human beings into mindless husks. The walk back was silent and Sid glanced around. The ship was certainly creepy. Perhaps it had to do with the obvious emptiness or the remains of husks littering the floors and two rooms filled with Dragon's Teeth. It was probably the latter. Something caught Sid's eye and she looked at Lieutenant Alenko. The man was watching Jo intently as though he was trying to figure out what was going through her mind. She wasn't watching where she was going and accidently slipped in some leftover husk, crashing into the Turian behind her. To further add to her surprise, Garrus helped her to regain her balance.

"Thanks," she said softly and somewhat embarrassed.

"Anytime," Garrus replied with an expression Sid guessed was the Turian equivalent of amusement.

Eventually they passed through the airlock of the _Normandy_. Lieutenant Alenko and Garrus headed off to the elevator as their lockers were in the Cargo Hold. Jo made her own way to her locker outside the Med Lab. Sid hung around the airlock for a few minutes, receiving a suspicious look from Navigator Pressly, before following Jo. When she reached the Med Lab, Jo was already wearing her blue Alliance uniform and looked up curiously.

"In the interest of continuing our productive friendship," Sid said formally, "there is something I wish to discuss."

Jo raised an eyebrow, torn between amusement and curiosity. "What is it?"

"I received a message from Ace, one he apparently promised you he would send."

Jo nodded. "I remember. The location of your ship."

"Correct," Sid replied with a firm nod. "Apparently, it's silently drifting through space in the Vostok System in this cluster."

Jo raised an eyebrow. "That sounds a bit too familiar."

"I know. I was hoping though that we could go check it out."

Sid waited anxiously as Jo went silent. She had been doing that a lot lately.

After a lengthy pause, she nodded. "I first need to investigate a research facility in the Matano system and then we'll head there."

Sid smiled. "Thank you, Jo."

She then walked off, unsure of where she was going and unclear on how to feel. There were a few bad memories on board _The Machine_, many of which she wasn't particularly looking forward to reliving. There were some good memories too though not as many as she would have liked. And there was, of course, her personal items that she never had a chance to recover and couldn't even be sure were still there. Whatever was still hanging around, at least it would result in some sort of closure. Hopefully.

* * *

><p>The planet of Chasca was pleasant enough. It had a breathable atmosphere, warm temperatures…and an ominous bad feeling. The files Shepard had found in the ExoGeni Headquarters weren't exactly reassuring and this feeling solidified as they approached a small building located on the planet's surface. It looked civilian in nature and was perhaps too quiet.<p>

"Where is everyone?" Kaidan asked from inside the Mako, apparently sharing the feeling.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Tali added quietly.

Shepard didn't reply, instead she grimaced from behind the steering wheel and it had nothing to do with her driving. Usually, she wouldn't want to bring Tali on a possibly dangerous mission. Even though the Quarian behaved in quite a mature way – much more mature than Sid at any rate – it occasionally made Shepard forget that she was still a kid. But Tali's tech skills might be needed and Shepard wanted to avoid bringing Sid along for a little while. Their relationship was making progress yet Shepard felt she needed to spend some time away from Sid which was easier said than done when they both served on the same ship. It was also the reason behind the decision to bring Kaidan along. His biotics were powerful but he was also calm during a fire fight. If things went from bad to worse, he could probably pick up the slack if Tali froze.

And Shepard really trusted him, perhaps more than anyone else in her crew. It was strange to admit it. After losing so many people close to her, she had decided it was best not to get close to anyone again. The pain, the anger, the guilt…it never went away and she didn't want to go through it again. And yet, being around Kaidan was making her feel things she hadn't felt in a very long time, despite her best efforts. Even then, he was insistent about always leaving a way out. Perhaps Shepard needed it more than he would. She stopped that line of thinking right there. There wasn't anything happening between them – the mission had priority – and she needed to focus on what was happening at the moment.

The Mako slid to a stop outside the building and they cautiously entered it. The first room was empty so they used these first few moments to prepare for the worst. Shepard checked her assault rifle, Kaidan prepared his pistol and Tali loaded her shotgun. When they were all ready, Shepard walked towards the door. No one immediately jumped out from behind one of the many crates to shoot at them so Shepard slowly inched further into the room. Once they were all inside, husks started to charge at them from all directions. What was with the Maroon Sea Cluster and husks? Wave after wave continued to come at them so an unspoken understanding developed between Shepard and Kaidan: keep the husks away from Tali.

It was not as easy as it sounded. It was hard to keep track of all the charging husks. Tali's shotgun made it difficult to stand in front of her because of the tendency of shotgun blasts to hit a wide radius of targets. Between Shepard's excellent aim with her assault rifle and Kaidan's biotics, they were doing pretty well. Tali hadn't screamed yet – this was seen as a win in Shepard's book - and there hadn't been any suit punctures. When the last of the husks collapsed to the floor in a mess, they investigated the rest of the building – huge crates and all. It was quiet and there was nothing of interest, not even an explanation as to how husks got inside the building or where they had come from, although Shepard did have a hunch about that. With more questions than answers, they returned to the Mako.

Shepard drove the Mako towards another facility to the south-west of their position. What they found didn't bode particularly well. The facility was surrounded by Dragon's Teeth and husks so Kaidan climbed up to man the turret just in case. There wasn't much for Shepard and Tali to do. There weren't any rockets for Shepard to dodge and Kaidan was a pretty good shot, even from such a distance. The husks couldn't last long against the superior firepower and never got close to the Mako. So Shepard drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as the shots rang out from the turret and the husks disintegrated.

"How horrible," Tali commented softly. "The entire colony must have been…transformed."

Rather than reply, Shepard slowly inched the Mako forward so Kaidan could shoot at the last few remaining husks without compromising his aim. When the outside was clear, Shepard parked the vehicle near the door and they entered the facility to investigate. At first, they found nothing but Dragon's Teeth. However, as they ventured deeper into the facility, they stumbled onto more husks. And there were a lot of them. To give them a fighting chance, Shepard silently ordered Kaidan and Tali to remain in the first empty room and then slowly followed the corridor into the large room with husks. For the time being, their presence was still unknown to the cybernetic zombies.

That changed when Shepard opened fire on the closest husk. They were drawn to the noise so Shepard slowly backed down the corridor, returning to her squad mates. The corridor would act as a funnel and would hopefully prevent them from getting swarmed. Utilizing the advantage given by the corridor to its fullest, Tali stood in front but not too close to the doorway into the corridor to allow her shotgun maximum efficiency. Kaidan and Shepard then flanked her on either side, keeping the husks from reaching Tali. Apart from one or two instances when a husk got too close – Kaidan generally used his biotics on them – the plan worked relatively well. When husks stopped charging at them, they went to investigate the rest of the facility. They weren't actually expecting to find anything nevertheless they needed to be thorough. Much to their surprise, they found a computer terminal in the last the room. Tali went to investigate.

"Did you find anything?" Shepard asked from her position guarding the door.

"There are only bits and pieces. I think someone tried to wipe the terminal but was stopped before it was finished. From the fragments I was able to recover, I don't think we'll find any survivors," Tali answered quietly. "Also, something called Cerberus is implicated."

Somehow, Shepard wasn't surprised. So far, if something bad was investigated and had nothing to do with Saren or his Geth, it was likely the work of Cerberus. When she looked over her shoulder to check if Tali was finished, she noticed Kaidan watching her with a worried expression he couldn't quite hide. It wasn't really relevant to their work so she didn't mention it. Instead, they moved on once Tali had downloaded the files from the terminal. Perhaps Sid could make more sense of the fragments. There was another building to the east that they went to investigate. Once again, it was surrounded by husks and once again, Kaidan used the turret to take them all out. The husks were much easier to defeat with a vehicle-mounted rocket launcher.

Inside the building, Shepard was starting to experience déjà vu. Whoever had been living in the facility had all been turned into husks. Using the same tactics as the second building they investigated, the husks were defeated relatively easily. The building was cleared and nothing of interest was found so they radioed the _Normandy_ for pickup. Once the Mako was back in the Cargo Hold, Tali bolted out if it and disappeared. Shepard suspected it had something to do with her driving or perhaps blowing up a lot of husks. It certainly required nerves of steel. She was just about to follow the Quarian – perhaps not at that speed – when Kaidan stopped her.

"Commander, are you all right?" he asked softly.

Shepard was surprised by the concern. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You've been particularly quiet since we disabled the probe and fought Haliat," he answered, unconvinced.

Shepard was quiet for a few moments, searching for the right words. "At first, I was thinking about him and Elysium. I was named a hero but no one ever mentions those that lost their loved ones or their lives."

"You saved many more from having to go through that, Commander."

"Perhaps. It just doesn't seem fair that I should be remembered for doing what I was trained for and the others are forgotten, that's all."

Kaidan scrutinized her face. "But that's not what's on your mind now?" Shepard shook her head in answer. "Does it have something to do with Sid?"

The man was certainly perceptive. "How do you figure that?" Shepard asked curiously. She wasn't used to people understanding her so easily.

"Every time you speak with her, your mood changes," he answered and seemed like he wanted to say more.

"Sid and I…we're fine now. Better than we've been in a long time," Shepard replied, unconsciously avoiding the question as well as mentioning that they were sisters.

"But?" Kaidan pressed.

He was perceptive _and_ persistent. "Our last conversation got me thinking. Things were…complicated between us because I didn't ask about her side of the story and I was so ready to forget about Mindoir that I accepted everything I was told. If I had just taken the time to consider other possibilities, things would be different. Much different. So I'm just wondering if I took the time to look at other things from a different perspective, if they could have turned out differently," Shepard answered, not fully registering everything she had said.

"Commander, you shouldn't doubt yourself. You're one of the best soldiers I've ever met and you always go out of your way to do the right thing," Kaidan reassured her.

Shepard smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I needed to hear that. We should probably get out of here before the others start talking."

Kaidan returned her smile and exited the Mako. Shepard didn't follow immediately but spent a few moments thinking about what he had said. She always did do what was right. Then again, Sid tried to do that too and look how she ended up: a wanted fugitive with a large bounty on her head. Shepard shook her head to stop the thoughts. She needed sleep. Perhaps things would look up after a good night's sleep, if that was at all possible with Prothean visions in her head.


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter has some French in it. As I don't speak a word of French, I used Google Translate so if it's incorrect, please let me know. I think I also may have broken Microsoft Word when fiddling with the languages to make sure I spelt the French words right.**

**This chapter is also all Sid's perspective. It didn't feel right to have Jo too. Some questions about Sid still have to be answered, I haven't forgotten. And as a note, for those who have watched **_**Firefly**_** or **_**Serenity**_**, the cargo hold of **_**Serenity**_** is sort of what I pictured for **_**The Machine**_**.**

**And thank you for all of the reviews, favourites and alerts. Please enjoy!**

**Chapter 10**

Sid was sitting in the Mess with a cup of tea clutched between both hands. Coffee would have made her jumpy and she was already on edge. She didn't need the caffeine too. Every minute that passed, the _Normandy_ drew closer to _The Machine_. Sid had no idea how to feel about that, whether to be angry or relieved, happy or terrified. At the moment though, she just felt nervous. By this point, pretty much everyone knew they were going off to raid Sid's ship but few knew she was Ghost. Once again, it was hard to decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Suddenly, the chairs around her were occupied at the same time and Sid looked up in confusion. Most crew members still avoided her.

All of the members of the ground squad were seated around her: Jo, Lieutenant Alenko, Chief Williams (who was giving her a suspicious stare), Wrex, Garrus, Tali and even Liara. It was a rare sight indeed to see Liara leave her temporary office in the Med Lab, unless it was to eat or attend the after mission briefings…or drill Jo about the Prothean visions. The rest of the Mess was suspiciously empty. The crew members that were either on break or waiting for their shift to begin had disappeared. Sid also suspected that Joker was listening in. Jo was even in a slightly better mood than before. And if scuttlebutt was right, then it was likely thanks to Lieutenant Alenko.

"Is this an intervention?" Sid asked, once again using humour to hide her discomfort.

Jo smiled briefly. "No, Sid. Before we board your ship, we need to know what happened and what we can expect. It isn't often we know the layout of a ship before we go aboard so we need all the information we can get."

It was a reasonable request…or order, depending on how you looked at it. And while it was obviously beneficial to everyone to do so, Sid was hesitant to give away any information. It was odd but true. Smugglers often guarded the layout of their ships with their lives. Not even the crew knew all the locations of the hidey holes or where the merchandise was hidden. The crew of _The Machine_ was no different. Not even Ace knew everything about it. It was weird to even consider giving out such crucial information. And in the presence of a C-Sec Officer, even though Garrus had officially left. Knowingly admitting _The Machine_ was her ship in front of Jo was one thing. In front of the others was another completely different thing. The possibility of getting arrested was hanging in her thoughts…Sid bit her lip in a nervous gesture as her sense of doing what's right no matter what and her instinct for self-preservation fought against each other.

Garrus must have understood her hesitation. "As far as we are concerned, _The Machine_ is no longer in your possession therefore it cannot be your ship."

Sid's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Since when was the Turian on her side? Perhaps this is what it felt like to have friends watch your back. Even though Sid still wasn't fully trusted, she had been on enough missions that everyone started to believe she wasn't about to shoot Jo in the back or attempt to assassinate anyone. And after Garrus' interrogation, they must have realised she wasn't being completely honest with her answers to protect their Commander Shepard which was a good enough reason for them to look out for her too. And perhaps Garrus wasn't so bad…for C-Sec.

"All right," Sid agreed slowly. "_The Machine_ is an older model frigate. It's smaller than the _Normandy_ but faster and more agile. However armour plating on the outside is much thinner and easily shot through. Thanks to a few…contacts, the shields are much stronger and more up to date. The engines have also been upgraded. The bottom two levels were modified to form one large Cargo Hold and a shuttle bay with Engineering and Life Support. The second level has a Mess, similar to this, the Med Lab, crew quarters and a few spare rooms."

"Spare rooms?" Chief Williams demanded suspiciously.

Sid nodded her head. "Sometimes when work was hard to come by and we needed credits, we occasionally took legitimate jobs that would sometimes involve civilian transport. Hence the spare rooms." Sid paused to see if anyone else had more questions. "The first level is similar to the _Normandy_'s in the sense that it's where the cockpit is as well as the Captain's quarters and navigation."

"You were able to run a frigate with a small crew?" Jo asked.

"There were six permanent crew members, including myself. If the job required more people, we'd hire some mercenaries or whatever else was needed on a temporary basis. It's not as hard as you would think. As long as the ship was running on a level to get the job done, it was easy. Then program a few VIs to monitor or take care of the minor jobs and avoid any fights then you're good to go. It wasn't an Alliance ship and you don't want to advertise that you have credits in the Terminus Systems, otherwise you're just asking to get raided by pirates."

Wrex snorted. "That your way of saying your ship is crap?"

Sid considered her words and _The Machine_. "I suppose it is." She paused again. "As for what actually happened, I have no idea."

"Tell us about the mutiny then," Jo ordered.

Sid visibly tensed and her hands tightened around the cup of tea. Even though, she had been expecting this question, it didn't make it any easier. "What do you know?"

It was Tali who answered. "Your…friend said you gave an order that the crew didn't like and so they mutinied."

"The quick and ugly version," Sid said softly. "Besides Ace and myself, the rest of the crew were mostly mercenaries or bounty hunters. That sort of job usually involves a certain…bloodlust. Then factor in a Krogan too." Wrex chuckled at this. "Occasionally it was hard to keep them under control and stop them from blowing each other's heads off. Between the credits, my VIs and the threat of chucking them through the airlock, I managed."

"What does this have to do with the mutiny?" Chief Williams demanded once again.

Sid ignored the question. "We had just done a very stealthy job, one where no guns were needed so the rest of the crew was restless and agitated. We were heading back to the client to get paid when we crossed paths with a ship that belonged to some well-known slavers. Unfortunately, they happened to be the same slavers I screwed over a few months before and they recognised my ship. I knew we wouldn't survive a direct hit so I ordered evasive manoeuvres. Ace in particular hates slavers and he wanted payback. The others just wanted a fight. Naturally, an argument followed and the slavers got through our shields. Ace grudgingly decided to follow my orders otherwise the entire ship would have exploded. Once we had evaded the slavers, the mutiny happened and they left me on Omega. A few days later, I heard the news that the slavers had been killed and there was a bounty on those responsible."

"Ace said you didn't fight them when they mutinied," Lieutenant Alenko began. "Why?"

She shrugged and focused on her cup of tea. "I dislike violence which is why my crew was mostly made up of mercs. They would do the fighting for me. I dislike fighting people I don't even know so how could I fight people I thought were my friends?"

"Not even to protect your ship?" Liara asked quietly.

Sid looked up at the Asari. "Ships can be replaced." Then she focused on her tea again. "Besides, the joke's on them. They didn't give me a chance to pay them for the last job and we got a raise for doing it so well."

Wrex chuckled loudly while the others weren't quite sure how to react.

"And why does the Shadow Broker want you dead?" Jo asked.

Sid had to smirk, despite her dark mood. "The Shadow Broker and his agents kept bothering me, asking me to sell information to them. I kept refusing. If anyone found out I was selling information to the Shadow Broker then I wouldn't get any more work. And I'm pretty good at gathering my own information so I never needed to buy it from him. It was still relatively early in my…career when I refused the last time. The Shadow Broker decided I was likely to become an enemy and tried to bug my ship. I found the bugs and moved them onto a pirate ship. Then I caught a few of his agents following me around so I led them on a merry chase. They eventually met their end with a Thresher Maw. After that incident, I pretended to sell some information to the Shadow Broker, tell him I had finally come to my senses."

"What happened?" Tali asked on the edge of her seat. Apparently she was enjoying this story.

"It was false information and the Shadow Broker lost some of his best agents," Sid answered simply. "That's when the assassins started coming. There were a few near misses and one very close call. The Shadow Broker had sent his personal assassins after me and then had sold my location to those who really want me dead. To shake them, I faked my death by causing a ship identical to my own to explode to throw them off my trail and then turned one of the Broker's agents."

"Wasn't that…risky?" Garrus asked. "We know what happened to Fist when he turned against the Broker."

"There are two things you need to know about the Broker: One, he is extremely arrogant. Two, he is predictable," Sid answered. "Yes, it was risky, but the Broker didn't think it would ever happen so there weren't any countermeasures in place. The turned agent helped me upload a virus into the Broker's network which deleted everything he had on me and any future information he might upload. His network is so vast that he has to depend on terminals and such to keep track of his information."

"It's his weakness," Garrus realised.

"One of many," Sid confirmed with a nod. "Once I was sure the virus had done its job, I resurfaced. Since then, it's been a bit of a war between us. Especially when he found out about his agent. Luckily, I was able to get him a new identity in time."

"You've managed to stay one step ahead of the Shadow Broker?" Lieutenant Alenko asked in disbelief.

"Not all of the time. Sometimes, I have the advantage and sometimes he has it. Our war has been going on for the better part of seven years. I've been shot, stabbed, poisoned, blown up, tossed out of skycars, just to name a few. In turn, the Shadow Broker has lost a few of his assassins, quite a few agents, he had to recreate his network twice and has to search for viruses daily as well as triple check his information just in case I managed to sneak in false information which affects his efficiency. Thanks to Saren turning to the Dark Side and the mutiny, the Shadow Broker has backed off, probably because he believes he has successfully killed me with whatever job Tiro accepted."

There were a few incredulous faces. Perhaps it was getting tossed out of a skycar that did it. Or maybe it was the irony that for someone who disliked violence, there sure seemed to be a lot of violence in her life. It wasn't her fault if the assassins and agents were stupid enough to follow her through Thresher Maw nests or asteroid fields.

"I guess I understand your scepticism about the Shadow Broker giving you a legitimate job," Jo said at length.

Sid shrugged and took a sip from her tea. "Whatever happened wasn't pleasant."

"What about the rest of your crew?" Tali asked.

"From what I've heard, Tiro took over as Captain. He was my weapons specialist and a deserter of the Turian military. Drar, my Krogan merc, went back to freelancing. Sahahla, my Asari merc, became an assassin for hire and was responsible for the events back on the Citadel although I don't know who hired her. And I don't know what happened to Atherton, my mechanic and engineer."

"You had quite a diverse crew," Jo observed.

Sid raised an eyebrow. "I was only short a Quarian."

There were some amused chuckles at that comment. They descended into silence. It was perhaps the most honest and straightforward Sid had been to them all since she joined the crew. After a few moments, she realised that she felt a bit relieved now that there were some others who now knew her story and weren't rushing to put her in handcuffs or shoot her.

"_Commander, I'm picking up a ship on our short range scanners,"_ Joker said.

"We'll be right up," Jo replied and indicated Sid should follow.

Sid got to her feet, her cup of tea forgotten, and followed Jo up to the cockpit. There was a small frigate drifting in space ahead of them. The armour, mostly painted black, had a few visible dents and scorch marks. Some of the paint had faded so the silver metal beneath could be seen. The engines would stutter to life for a few seconds before dying once again. Sid's heart sank.

"I'm guessing your ship didn't look that bad when you still owned it," Jo said.

"The dents and one or two scrapes, yes. Everything else…not so much," Sid answered slowly.

Joker tapped his consoles. "I'm picking up multiple life signs and life support is still functioning but no one is responding to our hails and everything else is either malfunctioning or switched off."

Sid was silent for a moment. "Mind if I try something?"

"Sure," Joker answered and indicated the consoles were free for her to use, much to Jo's surprise. Joker wasn't usually one to share his baby.

Sid opened the channel they used for hails. "Cést Fantôme, demandant une mise á jour du statut." _(This is Ghost, requesting a status update.)_

Joker and Jo both looked at her in surprise, which she ignored. Perhaps she had forgotten to mention that she was fluent in French.

"_Identité confirmée." (Identity confirmed.)_

"Evoluer á l'anglais." _(Change to English.)_

"_Engines are offline. Power is offline. Life support is running on emergency backup power supply,"_ a female synthetic voice answered. _"To board, power must be restored to the ship. Do you wish to proceed?"_

Sid exchanged a glance with Jo. "Not yet. What happened on board?"

There was a long pause. _"Error! Relevant data has been corrupted."_

"Fantastic," Sid muttered under her breath.

"Let's get our gear and then we'll go on board," Jo decided.

Sid nodded and opened her omni-tool, tapped it a few times and then closed the channel on Joker's console. "Thanks, Joker."

She headed into the Cargo Hold and grabbed her weapons and small devices. It was strange to her that she needed her weapons to go onto her own ship. Then again, her life had hardly been normal. When she returned to the airlock so they could board, she was surprised to find Jo, Lieutenant Alenko, Chief Williams, Garrus, Wrex and even Tali had geared up for the mission. It was completely unexpected, especially the ever suspicious Chief Williams. They continued to wait in silence as the _Normandy_ prepared to dock with the small ship and Sid brought up her omni-tool. Jo nodded once.

"Restore power and prepare for boarding," Sid ordered her VI.

"_Order received and acknowledged. Power has been restored."_

"If the ship doesn't have power, then how is the VI working?" Chief Williams asked.

"It has its own power supply, just in case," Sid answered. "And its voice activated."

The tell-tale sound of the ships joining echoed and the _Normandy_'s airlock hissed open. They cautiously walked forward and _The Machine_'s airlock also hissed open. The main deck was empty and eerily quiet. The lights overheard flickered on and off. The terminals hummed quietly in the background.

"Stay sharp," Jo ordered softly.

Sid veered off to the side, leading the way to the cockpit and tapped the centre console. The words she found were…not encouraging.

"Anything?" Jo asked.

Sid shook her head. "The last coherent log entry Tiro confirms retrieving the Shadow Broker's package from Eden Prime but doesn't enter the destination. After that…it's very similar to the _MSV Cornucopia_. Bits and pieces that don't make sense, like he was slowly losing his mind…hang on." She paused and scanned the screen. "The last entry has only one line: 'they are our salvation'. It was written a few days ago."

"Does that mean anything to you?" Jo asked.

Sid shook her head. "Whatever answers are on this ship will probably be in the Cargo Hold."

"You don't want to check your quarters?" Chief Williams asked curiously.

"There's no point. If Tiro was as desperate for credits as Ace said, then he would have sold off anything of mine that was still there, which wasn't much. Mostly clothes. The good stuff I hid in the Cargo Hold in some of the smuggling compartments," Sid answered and started to walk towards the stairs that would lead them down.

"The ship you were arrested for stealing on the Citadel," Jo suddenly began, finally explaining what Sid had been arrested for to the rest of the crew. "Where did you get it?"

"An old contact of mine on Omega owed me a favour, even if he wasn't particularly thrilled by the idea. When I asked for help, he decided he would rather sell me out to the bounty hunters so I decided to punch him in the face and take his ship. I wasn't exactly in a good mood," she explained. "And I was being honest when I told you I didn't know about the smuggling compartments. I was actually on the Citadel to buy a new ship."

"So the mutiny happened quite recently?" Garrus guessed.

Sid nodded. "I was stuck on Omega for a couple of weeks, doing the odd job for Aria in exchange for keeping the bounty hunters off my back while trying to find a way off. I wasn't exactly in a hurry to ask him for help. The man is as slimy as they come. When it was clear I didn't have any other option, I went to see him and once I took his ship, I went directly to the Citadel."

They continued to descend the stairs in silence, out of a combination of nerves and caution with Sid in the lead. While the others had their guns at the ready, Sid kept her hands hanging limply at her sides. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, the answer became pretty clear as to what had happened. Aside from the usual crates that took up about a third of the Cargo Hold, there were about six or seven Dragon's Teeth in the very centre. Even though the spikes weren't sticking out, their appearance was unmistakable. A sense of dread descended on the small group. This was definitely not a good sign. As if on cue, soft moaning reached their ears. Husks started to round the various crates and attack the group. There must have been at least twenty or thirty that charged out at them.

Sid drew her pistol out of reflex and joined in the chaotic gun fight. There were assault rifles, pistols, two shotguns and a lot of biotics. A combat drone was even released by Tali, who was handling the situation a little bit better than Sid. So far, she had killed Geth, varren and people who had opened fire on her first…but these husks were unnerving. They had once been people and they no longer had any control over their actions. Seeing the remains of them after Jo had killed a lot was completely different to pulling the trigger herself. And she couldn't help feel a tad responsible for their fate too, especially after what Ace had sent her.

When the last husk exploded, the others holstered their weapons while Sid lowered her shaky arm, staring at the remains of the last husk she had killed, her mind trying to figure this out. After standing there for…who knows how long, Jo walked in front of her and waved a hand in front of her face.

"Sid?"

Her head snapped up and she looked at Jo. "Sorry, I was just thinking…" Her eyes drifted back to the husk remains and then focused on the Dragon's Teeth.

"About what?" Jo asked, concerned.

"There was something else Ace mentioned in his last message to me. Small groups of people had been disappearing and a ship matching _The Machine_'s description was seen," Sid explained quietly, hoping it was only her imagination that made everything look so grim.

Lieutenant Alenko walked forward. "You're saying this…Tiro was purposefully abducting people to turn them into husks?"

"Do you really think he's capable of doing it?" Garrus asked, his investigator hat on.

Sid shrugged. "I didn't think he was capable of mutiny or leadership. Maybe I don't know him as well as I thought I did."

"It certainly would explain why there are so many husks," Jo said, inspecting the remains.

Sid said nothing else. She suspected her engineer was among them and didn't want to allow her thoughts to get any further. There was also a distinct lack of anything resembling a Turian…not that Sid knew if it was possibly to huskify a Turian or what one would look like. Instead, she walked towards the wall to their right. Luckily there were no crates in front of it and no husk remains. The others were confused because it was completely solid. Sid's eyes were focused on a large square that she could only see because she knew it existed. She leant against the wall and there was a soft, barely audible hiss and the square slid open, revealing a few crates inside.

Sid knelt on the ground and slid the first crate towards her. It was small and square, a couple of inches thick and made of smooth wood. Sid used her fingers to open the top. Inside was a layer of cushioned red velvet with two identical indentations: one was empty and the other held a second Karpov X pistol – the twin to the pistol currently holstered on Sid's hip. Within the lid of the gun case was some leather straps that could easily be transformed and attached to her belt to form a second holster. Satisfied that the gun was still there and in good condition, she closed the box again and slid out the next one.

The next box was long and rectangular, a bit thinner than the gun box and it was made of thick plastic. Sid opened it and revealed it to be a box for holding her knives. It wasn't nearly as fancy as her gun box and inside was just enough foam padding to keep the knives safe and secure. The hilts were different – some were thicker than others – but they were in their sheaths so it was hard to tell what else was different. There were currently six knives inside the box with enough space to hold another two: the knife that Sid broke while fighting the Geth and the unmodified knife that was currently strapped to her thigh. She closed the box again and carefully pulled out the next one.

It was small and square but thicker than any of the others. As she moved it, the contents inside rattled and made some noises. Once opened, it revealed all sorts of odds and ends inside as well as a couple of tools and other devices. A number of datapads had also been put inside unceremoniously. It was Sid's box of inventions and designs. If her memory was correct, there were at least four other devices that she knew worked and could be useful to the mission. A satchel was next and Sid quickly peered into it. There was a large collection of datapads, OSDs and a second omni-tool inside.

The last box was also the largest and heaviest. It was rectangular, thick and very long. Once Sid managed to get it out of the wall completely, she opened it to reveal her own hardsuit armour. It was completely black and was made of a more flexible material than the Alliance standard. It was also lighter…and very shiny. The helmet was made of the same material, only it was harder and thicker. The visor provided an unobstructed view for a large field of vision, spanning from the far right to the far left. It was wider and covered more of the front than the Alliance standard too. This way, more could be seen. Sid didn't mention that another reason for it being so large was because it could be interfaced with her omni-tool to display information on the interior of the helmet as well as assist with targeting and identifying people. It was definitely top of the line…and Sid had plans to make it even more so.

"I didn't know you had a hardsuit," Jo said, breaking the silence they had been waiting in for Sid to finish.

Sid ran a hand over the chest piece. "I only wore it once. It's an experimental design," she explained and then added "It was a gift."

She snapped the lid closed again and peered into her hidey hole to make sure nothing else had been left behind. Once she was satisfied, she knocked on the wall next to the hole where the trapdoor had slid behind. The trapdoor slid closed again and hid any sign of its existence. Sid stood up and faced Jo.

"I have everything I came for," she said.

Jo nodded. "Good. You don't want to check the rest of the ship for anything?"

Sid shook her head. "No but thanks." She shifted her posture so she could talk to her VI on her omni-tool. "Are there any other life signs aboard _The Machine_?"

There was a pause. _"No further life signs detected."_

"All right. Begin a data purge."

"_Acknowledged. Data purge in progress."_

"A…what?" Chief Williams asked with a frown.

It was Tali who answered. "Every bit of data on every computer on this ship is going to be wiped clean, as if nothing had been there at all, effectively erasing all traces of what happened here."

Sid nodded her head and clenched her jaw. She had made her decision the moment they had boarded _The Machine_. It wasn't an easy decision but made all the more necessary when they found the Dragon's Teeth. This ship was now an abomination as well as the grave of too many innocents. It could no longer be allowed to exist.

"You're planning on destroying the ship, aren't you?" Jo suddenly asked.

"I am," Sid answered, much to the surprise of the others. "It's the safest course of action. We can't let a ship filled with Dragon's Teeth drift around and I don't want to be on a ship where innocent civilians were killed." Sid said more than she meant to.

Jo raised an eyebrow. "Tiro killed them when he turned them into husks, not you, Sid."

"Thanks," she replied weakly. No one was convinced that she believed it. "Regardless, _The Machine_ needs to be destroyed."

"Can your VI help with that?" Garrus asked.

Sid shook her head. "I had a completely different VI programmed for self-destruct," she commented dryly. "Seriously though, once the data purge is complete, all VIs I had installed will be deleted too. I'm going to have to go into engineering and use the console there to initiate the countdown."

"Engineering?" Tali asked. The self-destruct controls were usually in the bridge.

"It wouldn't make sense to anyone so I figured it was the best place to hide Plan B. It's better than someone accidently activating it while in the cockpit," Sid explained. It made perfect sense in her mind even if no one else could follow her logic.

Jo nodded. "All right. We need to do as quickly as possible. Wrex, you're carrying Sid's armour back to the _Normandy_. Garrus, you're taking her gun case. Tali, the inventions and the satchel. Chief Williams, the box of knives. Lieutenant Alenko, you're staying with me while Sid starts the countdown."

Wrex grumbled in annoyance but followed orders all the same. Once the others grabbed whatever they had been ordered to carry and started to ascend the stairs, Sid turned around and led the way to Engineering. The door was in the far back and hissed open at their approach. She walked over to the terminal and started to press the keys of the terminal.

"You don't have to stay with me," she commented.

Jo shrugged. "The lack of anything Turian has me worried."

Sid smiled gratefully and focused on her task.

"_Data purge complete."_ It wasn't the VI's voice, rather the voice that came standard on all ships that was also responsible for such things as sounding alerts and calmly informing the passengers of impending doom.

Sid continued to type away at the terminal until _"Initiate self-destruct sequence?"_ filled the screen. She clicked on the 'yes' option and then selected the five minute countdown. It would give them enough time to return to the _Normandy_ and put some distance between the ships. Before leaving, she synced her omni-tool with the countdown clock.

"_Self-destruct initiated. Five minutes remaining."_

As a group, they quickly ascended the stairs and returned to the main deck. Sid hung back for a moment to take one last look around before following Jo and Lieutenant Alenko. As she approached the airlock, it slid closed behind the Marines and locked. Jo and Lieutenant Alenko heard the noise and turned around, their faces going pale when they realised what had happened. Sid was attempting to override the locking protocols with her omni-tool but they weren't working. With all of her VIs gone and the ship computer lacking those sorts of capabilities, there was only one other explanation…

"Welcome back, Captain," a calm, gravelly voice said from behind.

Sid slowly turned around, her blood turned to ice in her veins because that was no natural voice, and flattened her back against the airlock door. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back was Tiro, his face a Turian equivalent of forced calm that didn't quite hide the anger in his narrowed eyes. The airlock was being pounded on from the other side, presumably by Jo.

"_Three minutes until self-destruct."_

"I like what you've done to the place," Sid said as she too clasped her hands behind her back in the hopes of using her omni-tool to get away. She used it so often that she barely had to look where the keys were anymore.

Tiro glanced around as if seeing the ship for the first time before focusing his icy stare on Sid. "I wish you hadn't killed them, Ghost. They will be angry that their plans have been foiled."

Sid froze out of confusion and frowned. "…The husks had plans?"

"Not _them_," Tiro snapped angrily and brought his hands forward again. There was a small shard of…something that was glowing in his hands that held a resemblance to the Dragon's Teeth. Tiro regarded it with such wonder and worship, as though it held all of the answers. "They who are our salvation through destruction!"

"Right."

Sid's omni-tool stopped responding just then and her radio suddenly intercepted a wave of static that made her wince. Whatever Tiro was holding was interfering with everything that was small and technological…which was probably why the VI didn't pick up on his life signs. This day just kept getting better and better.

"_Two minutes until self-destruct."_

Tiro started at the computerized voice and then looked around for its source in very erratic movements, like a bird looking for an annoying fly. Sid used his distraction to face the airlock and try to force it open again, just like Jo and Lieutenant Alenko were doing on the other side. It was good to know that they hadn't given up on her completely even though a part of Sid couldn't stop herself from thinking it was a possibility. A few other members of the ground squad as well as the crew had gathered near the airlock and were trying to help but Sid was too unfocused to actually see who was there.

Jo suddenly started to gesture wildly to get her attention and then pointed behind her. Sid suddenly pushed herself off the airlock and sideways, her back hitting the wall hard just as Tiro's clenched fist collided with the airlock door. A small dent, the size of his fist, distorted the metal door. He didn't seem to register the pain. He swung around to try to punch her again. She ducked and kicked him in the stomach in retaliation. Tiro staggered backwards a step and Sid rolled across the floor to get behind him in a single movement. She kicked the back of his left knee, forcing him to collapse to the ground.

Tiro got to his feet faster than he should have and turned around to face Sid. It had happened so fast that she barely had time to register his hand around her neck as he slammed her into the wall and she could only claw at his wrist helplessly. Dr Chakwas was going to be pleased about that. Sid struggled against his grip as she felt it tighten slowly. Tiro was going to take his time with this and enjoy every moment of it. Sid wasn't going to let that happen. Her instincts for self-preservation kicked into high gear and she dropped her hand to her side. Tiro figured she was giving up and laughed manically. Sid's vision was starting to go black around the edges as she gasped for air but she felt her fingers tighten around the familiar grip of her pistol. She lifted it up and fired her pistol between his eyes. Even though he was probably already dead, she continued to pull the trigger until she collapsed to the ground, coughing.

"_Fifty seconds to self-destruct."_

The airlock suddenly slid open and Jo wrapped her arms around Sid's waist, dragging her into the _Normandy_'s airlock.

"Joker, we've got her. Go!" Jo ordered.

"_Aye, aye, Commander."_

Sid's breathing started to slow and she remembered she was still holding her gun. She released it and it clattered loudly onto the floor. Her omni-tool beeped loudly to alert her that the countdown had run out and _The Machine_ was no more.

"Are you all right?" someone asked.

Sid looked up to see pretty much everyone crowding around the airlock and that she was leaning against Jo who was leaning against the wall of the _Normandy_. Sid decided that nothing would surprise her anymore when she realised Liara had been the one to ask the question.

"I'm fine," she answered, her voice slightly hoarse from nearly being strangled.

No one was convinced by that answer.

"How did you open the airlock?" Jo asked.

"That wasn't me," Sid answered.

"It was me," Tali said shyly. "Engineer Adams and I had to get creative."

"Nice," Jo replied.

"I owe you one," Sid added.

Sid was helped to her feet by Garrus and Jo was helped up by Lieutenant Alenko.

Sid unconsciously rubbed her neck. "Let's…not tell Dr Chakwas about this otherwise she'll never let me leave the Med Bay again."

Jo raised an eyebrow. "Nice try, Sid." She raised her right arm and pointed her in the direction of the Med Lab.

Sid didn't argue further. Silently, if Dr Chakwas forbade her from leaving the Med Lab ever again, Sid wouldn't mind it. Everything that had happened on _The Machine_ was unnerving. She had spent most of her career avoiding this sort of stuff but she had just gunned down innocent civilians that had no control over their actions and someone she had once regarded as a close friend. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if she remained on the _Normandy_ to gather information and did nothing that involved guns, even if she did just get her stuff back. She sighed and mentally prepared herself for the lecture she was about to receive from Dr Chakwas.


	11. Chapter 11

**I hope you enjoy so please, read and review.**

**Chapter 11**

Sid found herself in the Mess once again, clutching a fresh cup of tea in her hands. At the moment, the _Normandy_ was hovering above the planet of Nodacrux. An ExoGeni facility was emitting a generic distress call and Jo had found out that samples of the Thorian on Feros had been sent to the same facility. It couldn't be a coincidence and things weren't looking too good. Jo had taken Chief Williams, Lieutenant Alenko and Wrex with her while she went to investigate. Sid still hadn't completely recovered from what had happened on _The Machine_ and was glad for some time to regain her footing, so to speak. Her neck was still sore – getting manually strangled by a Turian wasn't exactly a painless experience – and Dr Chakwas was intent on keeping a close eye on her. However, she was still having a hard time sorting through the other stuff.

Despite what Jo had told her, it was Sid's fault that innocent people lost their lives. While working as a smuggler, she went out of her way to make sure innocent people weren't affected by her work, especially when slavers were concerned. Yes, she moved weapons around and yes, she also moved drugs on occasion but she had convinced herself that whatever happened after she moved them from Point A to Point B was no longer her concern or her fault, even stooping to sabotaging weapons on occasion. Perhaps she was fooling herself even then. This was different though. Maybe if she had fought for her ship during the mutiny, Tiro wouldn't have been in command and they wouldn't have accepted the job from the Shadow Broker and those civilians would still be alive.

Then there was the confrontation with Tiro. There was something…off about him. Simply put, he wasn't in his right mind. Those Dragon's Teeth must have messed him up. But how? He wasn't huskified like everyone else and aside from his crazy talk, there was nothing visibly wrong with him. He looked like he was in perfect health. And yet…he was shouting about someone with plans and how they were 'our salvation through destruction'. What the hell did that even mean? It was also unnerving to see how willing Tiro was to kill her. They had had their problems nevertheless the anger and hatred was unexpected. She was forced to kill him. It had been self-defence. The thought didn't help. Killing a person you once considered a friend was never easy, especially when nothing made sense.

Sid had her stuff back…but at what cost?

"Sid?" a gravelly voice intruded into her thoughts.

She had been staring at her cup of tea so intently that she hadn't even noticed Garrus take the seat opposite her. He was frowning and…was that concern? Weird. How long had he been sitting there?

Sid attempted to smile. "What can I do for you, Vakarian?"

"I understand this probably isn't the best time but…" He paused, considering whether or not he should ask whatever question was bothering him. "I was wondering if I could ask you for a favour?"

The request took Sid by surprise. Garrus did not strike her as one to ask for help, especially not from someone who typically breaks the law on a daily basis and had been saved from jail time on numerous occasions by the very same red tape Garrus hated. Red tape was one of Sid's favourite weapons. And their conversations usually involved an interrogation of some sort. This favour must be an important one.

"Of course. What do you need?" she asked neutrally. Antagonising Garrus was not a smart move and Sid had already satisfied her quota of Turians trying to kill her for a while…or so she hoped.

Garrus didn't answer immediately. "I need you to track someone down."

The request was odd and likely illegal otherwise he would probably have asked a C-Sec contact for help. Or if they couldn't – or wouldn't – help, it would be interesting and would probably involve the breaking of laws. Whoever this person was, Garrus must want him bad.

"Who?" Sid asked simply, deciding not to make a big deal about their opposing opinions on crime.

"A Salarian geneticist named Dr Saleon," Garrus answered. "He was involved in Black Market organs on the Citadel for a while. He got away before we could arrest him."

Sid considered it. It would obviously be a challenge and she liked challenges. It would also distract her thoughts from dwelling on _The Machine_ for a time. It might even be enough to convince Garrus to back off for a bit. But there was one final question she needed to ask before giving Garrus an answer… "Does Commander Shepard know?"

"It was her suggestion to ask you," the Turian answered reluctantly.

Even more surprising. "I'll see what I can do. I can't promise I'll find anything you don't already know though."

Garrus' shoulders visibly relaxed. "Thank you, Sid." He got to his feet and was about to leave the Mess when he stopped and turned around. "And Sid? Nothing that happened on _The Machine_ was your fault. At the very least, killing those husks was an act of mercy."

Sid could only stare as he continued on his way back to the Cargo Hold. It was a different perspective that she hadn't considered _and_ it came from Garrus. Later, she would think about what he told her. Right now, she had a job to do. Dr Saleon…the name was familiar and there were rumours about Black Market organs. Sid made sure to stay as far away as possible. It was ten kinds of creepy. To make sure she didn't miss anything important when tracking the creepy doctor down, she decided to hack into the C-Sec database using her omni-tool and bring up Garrus' investigation files. It was pretty standard stuff and spot on as far as C-Sec Protocol went: following the evidence, tracking down the previous 'owners' with DNA tests, interrogations…

Until one of Dr Saleon's previous employees started to bleed from everywhere and died while in custody. The details that followed about Dr Saleon's work seemed like something out of a horror vid…no wonder Garrus wanted to track him down so badly. This Salarian was just plain sick. Perhaps his unusual crime would make him easier to track down. After some hacking and various files later, she managed to find out that Dr Saleon had a degree from some Salarian university in genetics, was supposedly brilliant and his financial paper trail dried up shortly after he fled the Citadel. There was no more information after that, it was a dead end. That was frustrating though unsurprising. Dr Saleon would likely have gotten a new identity to stay hidden and escape Garrus' wrath.

Sid started to think how else she could track him down. A geneticist needed very specific equipment, especially for cloning organs. Dr Saleon wasn't the type to just give up either otherwise he wouldn't have fled in such an extravagant manner or he would have stopped as soon as he realised C-Sec was onto him. So she started a search for all equipment purchased that could be used in Dr Saleon's creepy line of work. Then she filtered the results by excluding hospitals, medical companies and research facilities. The final list was a lot shorter so she eliminated everyone that wasn't a Salarian. A handful of names were left. Superficial background checks could help find Dr Saleon's new name. Speaking of names…Sid scanned the list and her eyes noticed a name: Dr R Heart. It was an odd name for a Salarian…

It was a hunch so she investigated him further. There was nothing on him earlier than a few months after Dr Saleon disappeared. It was looking very suspicious. Based on his recent financial records, he had large sums of money coming in, the sort of amounts typical of black market business. In his purchases, there was a long list of medical equipment and most of them were on Sid's list for the required equipment. And there was a ship: the _MSV Fedele_, another Kowloon class frigate. There were a few more transactions for some modifications to the ship although there was nothing more about them. Now if only she could track down his ship.

This was going to require some creativity. To do his work, Dr Saleon needed to be somewhere where he would not be accidently stumbled upon and he needed to avoid popping up on C-Sec's radars again which would mean out of the way places. Sid uploaded one of her data mining VIs and reprogrammed its parameters to download information about any ships sighted alone and in the same place for an extended period of time where there was little traffic. Any ships that belonged to the Alliance, any major corporations and such were to be eliminated and only privately owned Kowloon class frigates or unknown ships would remain. She didn't use the ship's name because it was possible to change a name but not the class of a ship.

It would take time for the VI to get some results so Sid reached over to her cup of tea and was surprised when it was ice cold. Yet another cup of wasted tea. Sid got to her feet and quickly cleaned her cup. Perhaps it was time to give Garrus an update. She headed down towards the Cargo Hold and found the Turian maintaining the Mako. He was always busy fixing this or tweaking that – like Chief Williams and her guns, Lieutenant Alenko and his control panel or Liara and her Prothean artefacts. And yet, despite all of his hard work, nothing much seemed to change with the Mako…unless Jo's driving was the problem and not the Mako itself. Sid walked over.

"Garrus?"

The Turian looked up in surprise. "Sid."

"Do you have a moment?" she asked, peering at the Mako curiously, trying to find anything different.

Garrus turned to face her completely. "Did you find him?"

"Almost," Sid answered. "I figured you could use an update. I was able to track his movements. He's changed his name to Dr R Heart and it would appear he is still sticking to his old line of work. However, based on his recent purchases, there may be more to it. There was a lot of medical equipment listed and not all of it has to do with cloning organs. He also bought a ship, the _MSV Fedele_ and purchased unknown modifications. I'm still gathering data on the ship and, hopefully, I should have a location for you soon."

Garrus was silent as he regarded her. "You've managed to collect more information in the past few hours than I've managed to dig up…since he got away."

Sid shrugged innocently. "It's amazing how much easier things are when you don't worry about red tape."

"Thank you, Sid."

She smiled and was surprised to notice he returned the smile. Red tape had been the reason for his resignation from C-Sec, after all. Sid turned around to leave when her omni-tool chimed, signalling the VI had finished its job. She tapped it quickly, aware of Garrus watching her closely, and the orange screen soon displayed a short list of ships. Apparently, there weren't that many suspicious Kowloon frigates out there. And it appeared "Dr Heart" was not as smart as he must have thought he was – the _MSV Fedele_ was on her list, along with a location. She turned around to face Garrus once again.

"The _MSV Fedele_ was last seen in the Herschel System of the Kepler Verge," Sid informed the Turian. "I can't tell if it's still there or not."

Garrus was silent for a moment. "It's still worth investigating," he said in determination. "This is the closest I've ever been since he got away."

Sid smiled and then turned around to head back towards the elevator, hearing a barely audible "thank you". A part of her was surprisingly happy that she was able to help Garrus while another part wished it hadn't been so easy because she now had nothing to do that would keep her mind busy. Or perhaps she could put it off for a while. Before she reached the elevator, she turned around and headed to her locker. She hadn't even looked at any of her things since she recovered them and decided now would be the best time to do so. There was a table nearby that Chief Williams used to take care of the crew's weapons. For the time being though, the table was empty while Williams was away. Sid took out the satchel of various datapads and sat down at the table.

The first thing Sid did was take out her backup omni-tool and ran a systems check to make sure no one had attempted to hack their way in. It had been a few months since the last update and everything was still functioning perfectly. Sid upgraded the software in a few places to keep it in line with her current omni-tool before syncing them. A lot of information needed to be updated and there were even more files to be transferred. Sid sometimes forgot how much she used the small device. While the omni-tools were updating, Sid curiously investigated her large collection of datapads, the majority of which had collected a lot of new information since Sid last looked. Many of the datapads were responsible for information about people that Sid either wanted to avoid or needed to keep an eye on.

This list was extensive and included Aria T'Loak, Donnel Udina, the other three Council members, a handful of diplomats on the Citadel, Helena Blake, Nassana Dantius, Fist, confirmed and suspected Shadow Broker agents, some Alliance personnel (including Commander Shepard, Admiral Hackett and Captain Anderson), some C-Sec personnel (including Executor Pallin), various mercenary groups (including Eclipse, Blood Pack and the Blue Suns), Emily Wong and a lot of other people. This information served different purposes, depending on the situation. In some cases, the information would be used for blackmail. In other cases, it was to keep an eye on them and find out what they were up to, perhaps even offering assistance when possible, like anonymously giving Emily Wong a tip about corruption on the Citadel. In the case of the mercenary groups, it was to make sure they didn't get too close to catching her.

All of the datapads needed a password and some were in French, others in Italian and a handful was in English. And not all of the information was collected by VIs. A few people willingly collected information for Sid too, including people she had freed from slavers, dancers from places such as Chora's Den, bartenders, small time thieves and other people she had managed to save or help in some way. Her information network might not be as sophisticated as the Shadow Broker's but it certainly got the job done. And Sid wasn't exactly trying to keep an eye on everyone in the entire galaxy…just the people that could either be dangerous or useful.

Sid picked up the datapad she had on Fist. It mentioned his betrayal of the Shadow Broker and choosing to work for Saren instead; the people suspected of being on his payroll; his death at the hands of Jo and Wrex and finally, the datapad Jo found and gave to Emily Wong to assist with her investigation. The information from that datapad could have come in handy…Emily Wong was not someone to freely give away information or her sources. That was a problem for another time. The information about Fist could still be useful later on so Sid didn't erase the datapad. She continued to read through her small collection: looking over new information; deleting useless information; erasing datapads on people who were now dead, therefore rendering the information useless in some cases.

This helped waste a lot of time and required a lot of thinking in some places (especially when the datapads were in Italian because hers was a little bit rusty), thus proving to be a pretty effective distraction. So effective, in fact, that she hadn't even noticed Jo's return until a hand waved in front of her face. Sid looked up in surprise and found Jo standing just behind her. She was unimpressed and Sid did not know if it was directed at her or not.

"So…how was Nodacrux?" Sid asked conversationally as she tried to gauge her mood.

Jo sighed. "Annoying. ExoGeni was experimenting with Thorian creepers and tried to convince me not to report them."

Sid raised an eyebrow. "It's like they don't even know you."

Jo smiled. "Your mood seems to have improved." Sid shrugged in answer. "In any case, I hear you managed to help Garrus track down Dr Saleon."

"It's impressive the sort of information you can find on the extranet," Sid replied innocently.

Jo's smile became more amused. "I've already ordered Joker to head for the Kepler Verge. Will you be joining us?"

Sid visibly faltered and attempted to hide her reluctance with humour once again. "I'll pass. I'd rather not meet a creepy Salarian doctor. I have enough trouble sleeping as it is."

Jo's smiled faded. "Sid…"

She shook her head and held up a hand to stop what was coming next. "Jo, I'm fine. Really. I just need time…to think."

"All right," Jo answered, unconvinced and headed towards the elevator.

Sid sighed and glanced at the datapad in her hand, only slightly aware that Chief Williams had settled down next to her with her assault rifle. Only once the recognizable sounds of Chief Williams disassembling her gun reached Sid's ears did she focus on the datapad once again. The name on the top of the datapad read "Commander Jocelyn C. Shepard, the Systems Alliance" and Sid was torn between erasing the entire datapad and keeping the information that had been collected. The datapad had been used to forward any information that would help Jo or her crew, wherever she had been stationed at the time, but it had also helped Sid to learn more about her sister, especially when a conversation was as likely as an alliance between the Quarians and the Geth.

Even though Sid and Jo were getting along better than they had in years, there was still no guarantee that things would work out in the end. Sid had been betrayed enough times to know there were no guarantees in her line of work. It was this thought that made her decide to keep the information intact and she put the datapad away, picking up the next one that needed her attention.

* * *

><p>The <em>MSV Fedele<em> was growing closer and Shepard had an important decision to make…yet she couldn't stop worrying over Sid. The younger Shepard had been extremely quiet since the events on _The Machine_ and while Shepard could understand, to a certain degree, what she was struggling with, Shepard had no idea how to help her and she didn't exactly ask for help either. Sid had always been one to suffer quietly and avoid talking about it – instead, she preferred to act like nothing was wrong and would continue to make jokes. The only hint that something was wrong was the quality of the jokes or the distant look in her eyes. It was also unlikely that Sid would open up to anyone on the _Normandy_, especially not Shepard. Maybe there was someone…

With that in mind, Shepard decided it was now time to redirect her thoughts to Garrus. The Turian had been stubborn, foolhardy and hot-headed since they first met but there was a lot of potential. The situation would soon become delicate and she needed to handle it professionally; she needed to act as Garrus' superior and his commanding officer. He would understand why, in the long run. Garrus was too angry about Dr Saleon's escape that he would lose control and his hatred of the Salarian clouded his judgement. Naturally, Shepard could understand why. This mission had to be about Garrus and not the Salarian.

Shepard could guess how Garrus planned on reacting: find Dr Saleon and then kill him without a second thought. Garrus was much better than that and Shepard needed him to see this. He also needed to learn that, even though the rules could get in the way at times, they were also there for many reasons, the most relevant of which would probably be protecting a person from themself. If Garrus pulled the trigger, then he would be no better than those he hated so much. Garrus needed to give Dr Saleon a chance to turn himself over and if things went well, Dr Saleon would serve a prison sentence. If not…well, Garrus could walk away with his head held high knowing he tried to do the right thing.

For this to work out well, Shepard needed someone she could depend on to go with her and Garrus; someone who would understand why it was necessary to give Dr Saleon the chance and who would also know when to pull the trigger if the good doctor decided not to turn himself over willingly, which Shepard figured would happen. Only one crew member matched her criteria: Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. Ash was a bit hot-headed too and Wrex would sooner shoot first and demand a payment later. Sid had already declined and had her own demons to deal with anyway. Liara, although a powerful biotic, was not cut out to deal with this sort of situation. Her mind was permanently set on "archaeologist", occasionally "archaeologist fighting for her life" although that involved a lot of panic and hoping for the best as far as her aim with a gun was concerned. Feros had proved that much.

Tali…Tali could probably benefit from the lesson too. She was still young and had much to learn in the criminal ways, as her encounter with Fist proved. And she was pretty handy with a shotgun. As long as Shepard and Kaidan led the way, in case there were some things to shoot at, then Tali would be fine. So it was decided: Garrus, Kaidan and Tali would go aboard the _MSV Fedele_. The logic behind the decision was infallible. Shepard was confident with her decision and decided to move on to the next item of business: a way to get through to Sid. Shepard quickly left her office and made her way to the cockpit. Joker was still sitting in his seat, tapping the various consoles and making sure they were still on course. He heard the Commander's approach and turned in his seat, giving her a confused look.

"Commander, you're a bit early," he commented with a frown.

Shepard smiled. "I know. I came here to ask you a favour."

Joker didn't miss the use of the word 'favour' as opposed to 'order', meaning he could decline if he wanted to and Shepard wouldn't hold it against him. This was a bit beyond the call of duty.

"What kind of favour?" the helmsman asked suspiciously. Commanding officers didn't usually ask their helmsmen for favours, especially the sarcastic ones.

"It's about Sid," Shepard answered and noticed the slightly guarded expression that replaced the frown. "After everything that happened on _The Machine_, she's having a hard time dealing with it. I know she won't open up to me and I doubt she would talk about it with anyone on the _Normandy_."

"…but you think she might around me?" Joker asked slowly.

Shepard nodded. "She talks with you more than anyone else and judging from the amount of laughter, I'd guess you two get along well. I'm not asking you to do anything specific or even to tell me anything…just keep doing what you're doing and maybe it'll help her."

"Commander, I'm not really…experienced with women," he admitted softly.

Shepard smiled. There were so many ways she could tease him right now. "Relax, Joker. Just be yourself and, if she decides to talk about it, all you have to do is listen. I know you don't have a problem listening to conversations."

"All right," he agreed reluctantly, smiling a bit at the last comment.

"Thanks, Joker," Shepard replied and turned back into the Commander. "When we get close to the _MSV Fedele_, please inform Lieutenant Alenko and Tali'Zorah that they'll be joining myself and Garrus."

"Aye, aye, Commander."

* * *

><p>Joker double checked the <em>Normandy<em>'s sensors to make sure everything was still running smoothly. It was his baby – of course everything was running smoothly. He just needed to check. The stealth systems were still online. The Commander had ordered him to activate them, just in case. Engineer Adams didn't mind; apparently it helped him to observe how it worked to prevent any future bugs from developing and he could make improvements as he saw fit. The Commander had gone aboard the creepy doctor's ship not long ago and her favour was still fresh in Joker's mind. He had no idea what to do, assuming Sid even decided to talk about it. He didn't even know the full story of what happened, just bits and pieces that Kaidan had told him.

After checking the long range and the short range scanners for anything, he leant back in his chair and suddenly noticed Sid was sitting in the co-pilot's chair on his left. She was definitely preoccupied as she gazed out into space. Did he ask her how she was doing? No, that was a stupid question. The Commander had told him she wasn't handling it well. Maybe a joke would cheer her up? Now that he wanted a joke, he couldn't think of one. He glanced to the side again, just in time for Sid to catch him looking. He looked straight ahead almost immediately, hoping she hadn't noticed. Unfortunately, she had.

"Joker?" she asked quietly. "Are you all right?"

Great. She was the one going through some stuff and _she_ just asked _him_ if he was all right.

"I'm fine," he answered quickly…perhaps a bit too quickly. "How are you?" _Idiot!_ Did he not just decide to avoid asking that question?

"I'm…all right, I suppose," she answered carefully.

Joker risked another glance and found Sid watching him in a mixture of curiosity and concern. He returned his attention to one of the panels, trying to look like he was working and not avoiding her eyes. An awkward silence soon followed and he couldn't help himself from shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Maybe if it had been a leather seat, it wouldn't have been so noticeable. This was the Commander's fault for making things weird between them.

"How is this Jo's fault?" Sid suddenly asked curiously.

Shit. Did he say that out loud? He looked at Sid again and she was still watching him in confusion.

"Nothing," he replied lamely.

Sid raised an eyebrow, obviously not convinced but she did not press him. Instead, she looked out the front window again.

Joker sighed in defeat. "Commander Shepard asked me to listen to you if you wanted to talk about…you know…what happened. I'm not very good at this kind of thing."

Sid didn't look at him right away, although she was smiling. "If it helps, I'm not very good at this sort of thing either."

Joker relaxed and after a moment, he asked "So…do you want to talk about it?"

"Thank you, Joker," Sid answered genuinely. "I appreciate the thought but I'm still trying to piece together what happened and trying to make sense of it. I'm also still trying to decide whether or not to listen to Garrus."

She flashed him a grateful smile and they descended into silence again. Thankfully, it was not an awkward silence. At least he managed to cheer Sid up a bit…somehow.

* * *

><p>Shepard regarded the Salarian in front them as the doors opened into a small room. He didn't strike her as the mad scientist type. He did, however, strike her as the slimy I'll-do-whatever-I-have-to type. She was also silently impressed by the amount of information Sid had been able to turn up, based on what Garrus had told her. The <em>MSV Fedele<em> had been in the right system and they had noticed the modifications: many of the walls had been removed so there was a large open Hold for Dr Saleon or Dr Heart or whatever his name was could experiment. Sid had also warned that the good doctor might not only be organ cloning and she had been right about that too.

Garrus noticeably tensed when he saw the Salarian so Shepard positioned herself so she was standing beside the Turian. Kaidan hung back with Tali, far enough that they wouldn't be in the way and close enough that they could spring into action if need be. He and Shepard shared a quick look: they both knew why they were there.

"Thank you," the Salarian greeted, sounding quite panicked. "Thank you for saving me from those things."

Shepard didn't buy the whole innocent act. Instead, she looked to Garrus for a confirmation. He was the only member of the _Normandy_'s crew with the knowledge to make a positive identification.

"Commander, that's him," Garrus confirmed. "That's Dr Saleon."

"What?" the Salarian demanded, sounding perplexed. "My name is Heart. Dr Heart. Please, get me out of here."

It was convincing…almost. Shepard was more inclined to trust Sid and Garrus, not this sorry excuse for a Salarian.

"There's no escape this time, Doctor," Garrus told him with such venom, Shepard was surprised. "I'd harvest your organs first but we don't have the time."

Shepard had to hide a smile. It was wrong to be amused and yet, she was VERY amused.

"You're crazy. He's crazy. Please, don't let him do this to me," Dr Heart babbled on.

"We'll take him in," Shepard decided firmly, using her Commander voice. "Drop him off with the military."

Garrus couldn't believe what he heard. "But…we have him. We can't let him get away. Not again?"

Shepard needed to reason with Garrus, explain the situation to him with logic otherwise he would never learn from this. "If he dies, we'll never know what he's been up to or how he did it. We'll take him in, interrogate him and he'll serve his time."

"I've…" Garrus started to argue and then he took a moment to think about it. "Okay. You're right." Then he turned to Dr Heart. "You're a very lucky Salarian. You owe the Commander your life."

"Oh," Dr Heart replied, his façade slipping when it became obvious it wasn't working and he wouldn't escape. "Thank you so very much."

Shepard had no idea those words could be said in such a way that they sounded the complete opposite of their meaning. Dr Heart or Dr Saleon…Dr Whatever reached for his gun. Luckily, Shepard and Kaidan had been prepared for this. As soon as his arm reached for his gun, Shepard and Kaidan already had theirs out and fired a shot within seconds of each other. The doctor didn't stand a chance as he went down. Garrus was surprised and turned to the Commander in confusion.

"And so he dies anyway," he said. "What was the point of that?"

Shepard calmly holstered her gun once again and turned to face Garrus, hoping Tali was listening too. "You can't predict how people will act, Garrus. But you can control how you'll respond. In the end, that's what really matters. Just because you can break the rules doesn't mean you should. And once you do start to break the rules, where do you draw the line?"

"Yeah," Garrus responded thoughtfully. "I don't think I've ever met someone like you, Commander. Well…I guess we're done here."

She smiled and took a look around the room, noticing that much of the medical equipment had a lot of blood on them from various species. Clearly, Dr Saleon was more messed up then they realised. The universe was a safer place now that that sicko had been dealt with and, even if she would never admit this out loud, she preferred this punishment to any the Alliance could think up. They made their way back to the _Normandy_ and Shepard noticed Garrus kept glancing at her.

"Is there something on your mind, Garrus?" she asked.

"You and the lieutenant knew Dr Saleon was going to draw his gun."

"Not at all," Shepard replied. "We _suspected_ he would draw his gun. There is a difference."

"Right."

Shepard smirked and risked a glance over her shoulder, noticing Kaidan's own amusement. Tali trotted along at the back of the group and was interested in the ship's modifications but her movements were a tad…jumpy. Perhaps the test subjects had spooked her a bit, even though they were similar to the Thorian Creepers on Feros and Tali had handled herself pretty well. Hopefully, this had proved to be a beneficial learning experience to both Garrus and Tali and not just a traumatising experience that would lead to months of counselling. They returned to the _Normandy_ and Shepard made a detour to the cockpit and was surprised to find Sid sitting beside the helmsman and they were both laughing about something once again. It was a good sign. Shepard had trouble pushing down the feeling of jealousy that resurfaced and had to focus on the reason why she was there when Joker turned around in his seat.

"Would you mind transmitting the coordinates of the _MSV Fedele_ to C-Sec? They can decide how to handle the situation," Shepard asked.

"Of course, Commander. What if they ask how we found him?"

Shepard glanced to the side and found Sid watching her apprehensively. "We just happened to be in the area on official Spectre business and stumbled upon the ship."

Sid grinned, as did Joker. "Consider it done, Commander."

Shepard thanked the helmsman and made her way to her office, stashing her equipment inside her locker along the way. This jealousy didn't make sense to her…mostly. It was frustrating to find that the cockiest pilot in the Alliance had a better relationship with her own sister than she did but it wasn't Joker's fault. And Shepard had asked him to make sure Sid was doing fine. She sighed and decided to file that bit of business for later, after a few hours of sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**I would like to thank Liege Lord for the inspiration for this chapter. Thank you very much for the suggestion.**

**Thank you to both Liege Lord and curseofthe5 for your reviews and continued support. To all my other readers, thank you for the favourites and the alerts. I am also especially grateful for the patience and understanding as far as my updates are concerned. You guys are awesome!**

**Chapter 12**

Sid slowly approached the door, as if some slumbering beast lurked behind it and would kill her if she disturbed it. This imagining wasn't so far from the truth, funnily enough. The thought did not ease her anxiety. A few people in the Mess gave her curious or amused looks as she cautiously took a step towards the door to Jo's office before taking a smaller step back and then attempting to get close once again. Sid had never been good at asking for help or advice, even from family members. Living life as a criminal constantly on the run did not encourage this sort of thing either; if you asked for help then you were considered weak or useless and if you asked for advice, people would immediately suspect you were trying to guess at their trade secrets. Most of the time, it was far more likely to get a bullet than something helpful.

Jo would probably be in a good mood or whatever passed for a good mood these days. She, along with Lieutenant Alenko, Chief Williams, Garrus and Wrex, had managed to take out several Geth outposts. To further add to this, Jo had also recovered some information that would help Tali on her pilgrimage – naturally, the Quarian was beyond ecstatic and had even decided to stay on for as long as she was needed, even though she would be welcomed home with open arms. Sid had spent this time swapping scuttlebutt and funny stories with Joker; a follow up examination with Dr Chakwas; asking Dr T'Soni if she knew of any Prothean advancements that could help with her inventions; asking Tali for some technical advice on said inventions and blueprints and sorting through her datapads – tweaking her designs, erasing unnecessary information and the like. She had also spent some time working on her hardsuit and brooding. Mostly brooding.

So Sid took a final deep breath and walked straight up to the door, arm raised ready to knock. She tapped the door softly, part of her hoping that the sound would go unnoticed.

"Come in," a voice said from the other side.

The door opened smoothly and Sid walked in. Much to her surprise, Jo was sitting behind her computer terminal and her brow was creased in a frown. She looked over her shoulder and was equally surprised to see Sid standing there.

"No 'enter' this time?" Sid teased, remembering the last time she had come into the CO's quarters.

Jo smiled. "I'm not working this time. I can safely say that all of my reports are up to date and sent to the Fifth Fleet."

Sid looked at her sister for a few moments, noticing the obvious exhaustion. She decided not to ask, feeling the reasons were either too obvious or probably none of her business.

"So…what can I do for you, Sid?"

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the serious conversation that was about to follow. "I need to pick your brain, metaphorically speaking of course."

Jo was surprised by the sudden seriousness and turned around in her chair to face her. "Of course."

"How do you do it?" Sid suddenly asked and when she noticed Jo's confusion, clarified. "How do you deal with the people you've killed? And I don't mean those that opened fire first; those are the ones I can deal with but all the others…" She sighed and looked to the floor, unsure of how to continue.

"This is about the husks back on _The Machine_."

It wasn't a question and yet, Sid nodded anyway. "Garrus told me killing them was an act of mercy but…I don't know."

Jo got to her feet and indicated that Sid should take a seat on the edge of the bed and then sat down next to her. They sat in silence for a few moments while Jo tried to gather her thoughts and Sid waited patiently, trying her hardest not to let her thoughts go into a dark place which was easier said than done.

"You don't have any problems killing Geth?" Jo asked in a way that reminded Sid of their mother: calm, poised and purposeful.

Sid shook her head. "They're synthetics…programs. Each Geth unit represents individual Geth programs. Killing a Geth is no different to an anti-virus program destroying a virus or you deleting a program on your computer terminal."

"Fair enough," Jo allowed slowly. "And the mercenaries, pirates and Cerberus soldiers?"

"They opened fire first. It was their decision to try to kill me therefore anything that followed was self-defence," Sid answered and realised where this was going. "Jo, those…husks were once people and they couldn't exactly ask for help or stop themselves from trying to kill us."

Jo looked at Sid. "True but we didn't kill them. Whatever the Geth did to those people that turned them into husks…that's what killed them. The Geth stripped them of their humanity. It's the Geth's fault, not mine and certainly not yours. Besides, their minds are completely gone. They don't recognise anything. Do you honestly think that that's living?"

Sid looked away and focused on her hands that were folded on her lap, pondering Jo's words. "I suppose not."

"Garrus is right: killing the husks is an act of mercy. And we call them husks for a reason: they are only a shell of who they used to be, nothing more."

"Does that make you feel better?" Sid asked quietly.

"Not really," Jo admitted. "As a Marine, you never get used to dead civilians."

Sid sighed. This was not exactly the sort of pep talk she imagined.

"I will tell you what does make me feel better," Jo continued and Sid looked up hopefully. "Knowing that every Geth I kill saves the lives of many people and that stopping Saren will save a lot more."

Sid cocked her head to the side, finally understanding her sister a little bit better. "This is the reason why you're so focused on Saren? To somehow make up for the civilian deaths?"

"In part," she answered with a small smile which faded after a moment. "You didn't see what Saren and his Geth did to Eden Prime."

"I heard rumours and stories about what happened, nothing concrete though," Sid replied.

"It was…bad. Bad enough to convince Kaidan that he shouldn't hold back on his biotics anymore. I also lost a man there: Corporal Richard Jenkins. He went to save his home and ended up dying there. All because of Saren."

Sid raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you to be one for revenge."

Jo shrugged. "I wouldn't say revenge, per se. Rather…a lot of anger. Saren has a lot to answer for and let's just say I hope I'm the one to make him answer for his crimes."

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Sid actually smiled. This definitely had not been the pep talk she had envisioned but it had been an honest conversation and would probably help much more in the long run than some pointless "up and at 'em" speech. Already, she felt less guilty about what had happened and agreed that Saren was to blame. She had been so focused on how she felt that she didn't spend much time considering other angles, something a smuggler should always be doing. And she now also needed to thank Garrus.

"So…can I count on you for more ground missions, regardless of possible husk involvement?" Jo asked.

Sid considered the question, choosing not to answer immediately. "I think so, Commander."

Jo smiled at Sid's use of her rank. "Excellent."

With her mood significantly better, Sid decided she needed to make up for lost time. "Are these the kind of talks you have with the lieutenant?" she asked innocently.

"What do you mean?" Jo asked carefully once she was able to compose her face into a neutral expression.

Sid shrugged in response. "It's just the two of you seem to spend a lot of time talking and he also seems…different. The fact that scuttlebutt has _nothing_ on the subject makes it even more suspicious."

Jo was silent for a moment and a small smile slowly spread across her face. "You mean like with you and Joker?"

"Touché," Sid replied unashamedly and then she realised something. "I think I'm a bad influence on you, Jo."

"Oh? How do you figure that?"

"The sudden increase in smart mouth responses, for one," Sid answered thoughtfully. "If I brought up that topic a few days ago, I probably could have gotten you to blush again."

Jo shot Sid a withering look. It wasn't quite as effective as usual due to the very amused smile that lit up her features. Sid's omni-tool suddenly pinged and a small, flashing red light informed her of a new message. Well…that was unexpected. Sid activated her omni-tool and opened the new message.

_Ghost_

_I have important information regarding the favour you asked. I need to be sure it really is you before giving it up so we need to have a face-to-face conversation per usual. The sooner, the better._

_J._

Sid was surprised. When she asked a lot of her contacts to keep an eye out for any news about Saren or his allies, this was the last person she expected to turn up some information. She looked up to find Jo watching her closely. Rather than answer the unasked question, she decided to ask one of her own.

"Can I borrow your conference room?"

Jo frowned in confusion. "What for?"

"To have a conference," she answered innocently. "You're welcome to join me."

"Gee, thanks," Jo replied sarcastically. "I've always wanted to be a part of a conference on my own ship."

Sid smirked. "Come on, Jo. Jerry never sends me anything unless it's important."

"Jerry?"

"He's a Turian contact of mine."

Jo waved her hands in a gesture to show her disbelief. "Wait a minute. You actually know a Turian named Jerry?"

"Of course not," Sid scoffed, much to her sister's confusion. "I have trouble pronouncing his real name so I nicknamed him Jerry."

"All right," Jo agreed. "Let's go."

She led the way out of her quarters to the next door. The soldiers standing guard snapped off a quick salute as they entered. Sid approached the communications device and brought up her omni-tool. She forwarded Jerry's contact information and then activated a few precautions to make sure no one could trace either side of the conversation or eavesdrop from another location. Once she was satisfied that this was about to be the most secure call ever, Sid used her omni-tool to connect with Jerry's office and begin the call. After a few moments, the holographic double of a Turian appeared.

_::Ghost::_ he greeted.

"Jerry, it's always good to hear from you," Sid replied.

The Turian frowned at the nickname. Apparently, he still didn't approve of it. _::I see you are not alone. I wasn't aware we would have company for this conversation.::_

Sid shrugged. "You rarely approve of working for me so I figured I'd show you this isn't as illegal as you think. This is Commander Jo Shepard of the Human Systems Alliance and Humanity's first Spectre." Jo stepped forward and nodded once in greeting. Sid continued. "The Council assigned her the mission of hunting down the now rogue Spectre Saren and anyone he may have allied himself with."

The Turian grunted in approval...or was it irritation? It was so hard to tell with him sometimes. _::Commander, I may have information that could help your mission. An Asari, Matriarch Benezia, recently arrived and no one has heard from her since, even though it hasn't been that long.::_

"You're sure it was the Matriarch?" Sid asked, just to double check.

Jerry sniffed in disapproval. _::Between us, Ghost, I am not the liar. Of course I am sure.::_

With that, he terminated the call and Sid glanced to the side. Jo was grinning and was obviously quite amused by seeing Sid insulted by a grumpy Turian. Sid rolled her eyes in response.

"Don't mind him. He's always grumpy," she explained.

"I can't imagine why," Jo replied and then sobered. "Where exactly was he calling from?"

"Noveria," Sid answered simply. "It's a corporate world in the Horse Head Nebula. I try to avoid it, namely because of the cold."

Jo raised an eyebrow. "There are other reasons?"

Sid sighed. "It's a _cor-por-ate_ world," she repeated, emphasizing every syllable. "Isn't that reason enough? Those corporates are slimier than most of the people I deal with and you can't trust a thing they say."

"But you trust…Jerry?" Jo countered.

Sid smiled. "Yes. Technically, he's security at one of the labs and not one of the corporates."

Jo regarded Sid silently. "Why do I get the impression you call him Jerry just to annoy him?"

Sid's only answer was to smirk.

Jo shook her head in amusement. "What else do you know about Noveria?"

"It's a privately chartered colony, owned and run by the Noveria Development Corporation. It's a holding company that's combined the capital of over two dozen big corporations. The investors build remote hot labs for research that is too dangerous or controversial to be done anywhere else. They use loopholes even more than I do," Sid explained without even needing to look it up. She didn't trust people who used loopholes more than she did so she took the time to learn about them. "It's also the source of various conspiracy theories."

Jo considered this new information silently. "I'll go update Joker and then I'll be in my quarters if you need me."

Sid watched her leave and guessed that she was going to use this time to do even more research about Noveria. The brief overview would not be enough for her. Sid decided to go see Tali and find out what the Quarian had to say about her inventions. Sid had left the designs of a few inventions, including the one that blew up shield generators and her knives, for advice for two reasons. Tali was a mechanical genius and she knew a lot about the Geth. Considering their enemy had an army of the synthetic bastards, Sid figured it would be a good idea to have a few tricks up her sleeve specifically suited to damaging them. It was only logical.

Tali was sitting with Chief Williams at her table, asking for her input on some of the designs as well. It was a good idea considering Chief Williams knew guns better than pretty much everyone on the _Normandy_, aside from Wrex and he wasn't keen to share his knowledge. Sid might have approached Williams too, except for the fact that she was very suspicious of Sid, Garrus, Wrex and Liara. It seemed better to avoid her. It was also impossible not to like the energetic, enthusiastic, shotgun-wielding young Quarian. As Sid approached, Tali got to her feet and walked over with the datapads in her hand.

"I've gone over all the datapads you gave me and with some input from Chief Williams and Garrus, I think we've managed to come up with a few improvements," Tali started to explain. "The designs are solid and have a lot of potential."

Coming from a Quarian, that was high praise indeed. "But…?"

"But," Tali continued. "There were a few mistakes and room for improvement, nothing I couldn't fix."

Sid didn't mind the criticisms in the least. Her skill was in computers and she accepted that her devices wouldn't be perfect. It was more of a hobby than a day job, like her hacking. Tali went into very deep explanations of the changes she did and ideas she had for improvements. Even though Sid had only asked for fixes for the bugs and ways to defeat the Geth, Tali had gone beyond the initial request and Sid enjoyed the following conversation. She learnt a lot and her respect for Tali only increased. It was nice to have a technical conversation with someone.

Tali managed to fix the time delay on the device that destroyed shield generators; she pointed out the flaw in the electric knife that exploded rather spectacularly so Sid wouldn't make the same mistake in the future; she streamlined the designs for a device that would interfere with targeting and another device for a knife that had the potential to either block radio signals or clone them and she managed to adapt a design initially meant to short circuit or scramble a friend/foe identifier for VIs and possibly AIs to work against the Geth too – this one obviously needed a bit of field testing as the Geth were recognised as being immune to hacking. Tali had also managed to get feedback from Garrus and Williams for a night vision interface for hardsuits and gun sights, specifically for sniper rifles. There was also a lot of feedback for other devices that were nowhere close to being constructed.

Sid was speechless at first, due to surprise and gratitude. It was an unusual occurrence for someone to do so much work as a favour and not expecting anything in return. "Wow, Tali. I have no idea what to say…thank you."

"I was happy to do it," Tali replied enthusiastically. "If you need more help, please ask me. It was fun to do."

"Of course, Tali," Sid replied with a grin. "Thanks again."

While Tali returned to Engineering, Sid took a moment to scan through the datapads. There were _a lot_ of improvements and suggestions she needed to go through. She guessed that's what she got for asking a Quarian.

* * *

><p>Shepard had spent some time researching what she could about Noveria. There wasn't much she could do without authorization which they weren't in a hurry to give her. There were so many rules and regulations that she couldn't get through, not without help from the Council. Any useful information would only be acquired in person. There was so much red tape that Shepard suddenly sympathised with Garrus. When she finally gave up on getting more information, she tried to grab a few hours of sleep before they reached Noveria. That plan didn't go too well either. Between worrying about Saren, stressing about how little help they were getting and the Prothean Beacon…well, there wasn't much success there either. At least she didn't have to worry about her relationship with Sid anymore.<p>

She eventually gave up and headed towards the Mess to grab a cup of coffee. Sid was once again sitting at the table with a couple of datapads scattered in front of her, a cup of tea, her omni-tool and the helmet from her hardsuit. Why she only had the helmet…Shepard had no idea. She quickly made herself a cup of coffee and sat down on Sid's right. Sid looked up and noticed Shepard curiously looking at everything there.

"I'm making some modifications to the suit's software to increase its efficiency in the field, thanks to some notes provided by Tali," she explained.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "I haven't had nearly enough coffee for that kind of talk."

Sid grinned. "Sorry. If this works well, I might be able to adapt it to work on your hardsuit too."

"What sort of modifications?" Shepard asked.

Sid shrugged. "More accurate readings for shield status, optimized targeting assuming I could get it to work with the targeting software of weapons, accurate readings on enemy gear and optimized communication between the suit and the omni-tool…that sort of stuff. My suit, being an experimental design, is more advanced than what you wear so not all of the modifications will work. And these are the ones I'm going to start with, as testers."

Shepard nodded. "Interesting."

It was way over her head and she didn't understand how it could possibly work. Sid seemed pretty confident though. At least she was getting along with Tali just fine. It made sense considering they shared similar interests. While Sid continued to do her…technical stuff, Shepard thought about what could happen on Noveria. Matriarch Benezia was well known to be a powerful biotic and she would not travel alone either. There would likely be Geth and probably more Asari. She would need a biotic on her side to deal with them. Shepard couldn't ask Liara to come with them to fight against her own mother, it wasn't fair. And taking Wrex along wasn't a smart move either what with all the rules and regulations on Noveria. Therefore, Kaidan would make a good choice.

She would need someone else to deal with any potential computers that may have information and the Geth. Tali would be useful but she didn't have much experience fighting against biotics. Sid would make a good choice, especially because she was just as good at finding loopholes in pretty much anything. Shepard also suspected that she may have some blackmail material on some people they may encounter which would help them get the help they needed. She also suspected Sid knew more about Noveria than she previously mentioned. A place like Noveria definitely required finesse.

Shepard looked up at Sid just in time for Sid to notice.

"What?" she asked slowly.

Shepard smiled. "I want you with me on Noveria. You're fluent in bullshit and loopholes."

Sid smirked. "Well, when you put it that way…"

A throat was quietly cleared nearby and Sid and Shepard both looked up. Much to their surprise, Liara was standing in front of them looking extremely nervous and maybe a bit awkward.

"Commander Shepard, I was hoping I could have word?" she asked uneasily.

Shepard indicated the empty chair opposite. "Of course, Liara. What can I do for you?"

She had expected the Asari to come forward as word quickly spread that they were going to Noveria to find Matriarch Benezia. A few crew members had watched Liara curiously when she left the Med Lab since then. Liara hesitantly looked towards Sid.

"I can leave, if you'd prefer," Sid offered with a quick glance at everything she would need to take with her, trying to figure out how she could carry all of it in one go.

"It's not necessary," Liara replied after a moment.

That was a surprising gesture and Sid must have shared the idea if her facial expression was any indication.

"If this is about your mother…" Shepard began.

"It is," Liara interjected. "I want to go with you."

That was even more surprising. "Liara…"

"I know that you are worried I will be unable to handle it. I do not want to go but I need to go. I have to see for myself that my mother really is doing this and find answers at the same time," Liara explained. "And the crew is still suspicious of me."

"You don't have to do this to prove something to my crew," Shepard replied gently. "I trust you and my crew trusts me. That should me enough for them."

Liara looked down at the table. "Thank you, Commander but it does not affect my decision."

"She has a point, Jo," Sid cut in.

Yet another surprise. Shepard stared mutely at Sid, who smiled in amusement.

"It's her mother, Jo. This is her decision," Sid explained her logic. "Therefore, she should have the opportunity to ask the most important question; one we never got to ask the Batarian slavers: why?"

Sid did have a point. It still bugged Shepard as to the Batarians' reasons for attacking Mindoir and enslaving so many while killing others in such a merciless way. If Liara got the opportunity to get the answer then it would go a long way to kick-start the healing process. And with Kaidan and Sid there to pick up any slack then it would work out fine, in terms of combat. There was no way this would end well emotionally. Shepard was so busy considering this that she didn't realise Sid had mentioned they were both on Mindoir together around other crew members – not just Liara was in the Mess.

Shepard looked up and found Liara watching her anxiously while Sid had returned her attention to her omni-tool. "You do realise there will be a fight, not necessarily with your mother. Are you prepared for that?"

"Yes, Commander," Liara answered. Judging by her expression, she was attempting to steel her nerves and sound more confident than she actually felt.

"Very well, Liara. As long as you are sure of your decision, then you may join us on our mission," Shepard decided.

Liara nodded in answer and hurriedly got to her feet, returning to the Med Lab. Shepard was grateful that she hadn't said 'thank you'.

"Well, this mission just got ten times more complicated," Shepard stated.

Sid shrugged. "You never know. Liara's presence might convince this matriarch to give us information in an attempt to set things right with her daughter."

"You do realise Liara isn't exactly…suited for combat, right? Her aim leaves much to be desired and she tends to get a bit shaky afterwards," Shepard pointed out.

Sid looked up. "I remember Feros but Tali has also come a long way since then. Perhaps this will be good for Liara too."

Shepard shook her head. "Look at you, being all serious and making sense."

"I think you've been a bad influence on me, Commander," Sid teased.

Shepard returned her grin and they descended into silence once again. Apparently, their argument had been the best thing that could have happened for their relationship. It opened both of their eyes and helped clear the air between them. Shepard couldn't remember a time when they had actually sat down together and could tease each other so much without any anger whatsoever. It finally felt like they were sisters once again…or maybe for the first time. It wasn't as painful to think about Mindoir either. They had been sitting together for a while – long enough for Sid to be on her second cup of tea and Shepard her third cup of coffee – when Kaidan joined them with his own cup of coffee. He glanced at Sid and her stuff curiously.

"This part of the plan to take over the Volus?" he asked.

Shepard frowned in confusion. What on earth was he talking about? And why would she have an inside joke with Kaidan?

Sid grinned. "Not quite. We'll have to see how it works first before I can know whether it'll be effective in such an enterprise."

Kaidan also grinned in amusement and Shepard caught herself staring before anyone else did…hopefully. She was envious that she had never been able to make him smile like that.

"I hear you agreed to take Liara along," Kaidan said. "You sure that's a wise idea, Commander?"

It wasn't outright questioning of a superior's orders, rather it was an inquisitive question about the welfare of another crew member. Still, it was a bold question to ask, especially from the previously introverted lieutenant.

"I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages," Shepard answered. "Besides, it was Sid's bright idea. If it ends badly, we can blame her."

"Hey!" Sid replied indignantly as she looked up from her omni-tool and Shepard smiled into her coffee.

"I also want you to come with, Kaidan," Shepard added.

"Aye, aye, Commander," he replied.

"So, Sid," Shepard began. "You've obviously dealt with those on Noveria before. Can you offer any insight?"

Sid stopped what she was doing and thought about it for a minute. "Well, intimidation definitely doesn't work on most of the corporates. Bribery and blackmail definitely will. Lies and manipulation can also work, depending on who's doing it and to whom. You also need one hell of a poker face to deal with a few of the characters there. Anything goes, as long as it falls under the heading of 'Corporate Espionage' and you don't get caught as corruption is frowned upon. And credits will get you much further than threats."

"Sounds charming," Shepard commented dryly.

"You have no idea," Sid agreed. "The weather matches the personality of most people there: frosty. And always assume the person you're talking to is lying, attempting to manipulate you and is hiding something. That way, you won't be unprepared if they are actually trying to do it. And if, however unlikely, it turns out they're doing nothing along those lines, there's no loss either. That way, you're always prepared but just don't show your suspicion."

Shepard and Kaidan shared a glance. This was either really good advice or Sid just had a very low opinion of the people on Noveria.

Sid caught the glance. "Just for the record, if I was telling anyone else this information, I could have charged them a lot of credits."

"Assuming this information is accurate," Kaidan added.

Shepard smiled. She was just about to say something along those lines but Kaidan had beaten her to it. Sid, however, was less amused and returned her attention to her omni-tool without a retort. Either she couldn't think of a witty comeback or she disliked the credibility of her information being questioned. Whatever the reason, it was unusual for her to be rendered speechless which just further added to Kaidan and Shepard's amusement.

* * *

><p>Garrus tapped the Mako's terminal to upload some software Sid had given him when she had come down to grab a few things. As far as he could tell, it was an upgrade for the targeting systems of the Mako and not some virus so hopefully it would work. While he waited for the upload to complete, he considered the encounter with Dr Saleon yet again. He still hadn't made up his mind whether it had been a good encounter or not. He would have liked to shoot the slimy Salarian on sight but the Commander had intervened and even then, Dr Saleon wound up dead. What was the point of that?<p>

The Commander's words were still fresh in his mind and he spent a lot of time thinking about them. Perhaps she had a point. He let his frustration and his anger cloud his judgement. Pulling the trigger on an unarmed civilian – with the possibility of it not being Dr Saleon – would have been a mistake; one he could never have forgiven himself for making. His job on C-Sec had always been about protecting the innocents and it was also the reason why he wanted to join this mission to stop Saren. Commander Shepard had been right: just because you can break the rules doesn't mean you should. No one else would have taken the time to teach him this. He definitely owed the Commander a big thank you. It felt good to know that he had tried – if a bit reluctantly – to do the right thing. Dr Saleon's death was Dr Saleon's fault.

It was also strange to think that this lesson couldn't have been learnt without Sid's help. Without her, they wouldn't have even known where to find the doctor. And Garrus had no idea how to feel about her. Sid was Ghost: a smuggler that C-Sec, among other authorities, was working around the clock to arrest. And even when they had her in custody – mainly due to luck or a mistake on her part and not actually any skill on C-Sec's part – she had managed to escape any charges brought against her. The arrest of Ghost was a career maker for the officer who could do it and at the same time, it could kill the officer's career if he had made the mistake that let her walk.

And Garrus not only was working on the same ship as her but also owed her a favour now. The strangest part of it? He didn't actually mind that much. At first, he had been extremely suspicious of her, mainly because she kept a lot of information to herself. Even though this hadn't changed, he now understood why. She was protecting herself and also protecting Commander Shepard. Not admitting any information that could be used against either of them would protect Shepard from any blowback from C-Sec or the Alliance superiors. It was still odd that Sid refused to give her last name.

In any case, Garrus was still unsure of how to react. His whole life had always been black and white. If someone broke the law, they would get arrested and go to jail, serving a sentence that would fit their crime. If they didn't break the law, then nothing would happen. It was his duty, his job to make sure those who broke the law would get what they deserved and those that didn't would be protected against those that did. Grey? He didn't know how to handle grey and Sid most definitely fell into that grey area.

She broke the law and, at the same time, managed to do some good when the authorities couldn't. She found Dr Saleon after C-Sec gave up without thought for a reward or credits; she fought against slavers and did what she could for those that had been captured and was working pretty hard to help Commander Shepard on her mission, even if she wouldn't admit it. Perhaps Sid wasn't so bad. And neither was Wrex, for that matter. The Krogan mercenary had calmed down in recent days and even though he was still looking for a fight all the time, he didn't antagonize everyone. Commander Shepard sure had a way with people. Only she could get such a diverse crew to work so well together. There certainly was a lot Garrus could learn from her.

The Mako's computer beeped suddenly. The software upload and upgrade had completed. Garrus decided to investigate the changes that Sid had made and was quite surprised by what she had accomplished in such a short amount of time and with such a simple upgrade. The computer now accurately displayed the Mako's shields and their strength with a small readout that predicted how many more hits it could take before it needed to recharge. The targeting system was also more sophisticated. It now acknowledged the layout of the terrain and would make minor adjustments for unequal ground. It also locked onto targets for the rockets. The communication between the targeting computer and the weapons was also much more efficient. Garrus guessed that the Alliance would pay a lot of credits for improvements such as these and Sid just gave them to him for free.

Now with those problems off his list, there were other improvements that could now have his undivided attention. Perhaps this poor little Mako might just survive its encounter with Commander Shepard's driving.


	13. Chapter 13

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**Chapter 13**

Sid stood in the Cargo Hold, wearing her new hardsuit. The material was a bit stiff, considering it hadn't been worn before, and Sid wanted to make sure it wouldn't compromise her agility and flexibility because she relied on both to do her job and as they were preparing to go up against an Asari Matriarch, Sid needed to know her limits before they rushed into combat. If the suit was too limiting, then she would leave it behind and go in her usual clothes. They had done their job thus far so if the suit didn't work out, she still had a Plan B.

There was still some time before they would reach Noveria and Kaidan and Liara hadn't even started to suit up yet. This didn't surprise Sid. She figured Liara was still trying to convince herself that going to face her mother with Commander Shepard was still a good idea. Sid couldn't possibly imagine what the young – comparatively speaking - Asari was going through. True, she hadn't had the best of relationships with her own mother but she didn't exactly turn evil and go on a rampage to take over the entire galaxy with a rogue Spectre and an army of Geth. However, this was all Liara's decision, meaning no one could make it for her, so Sid focused on what she was doing and not on the 'what ifs' that could potentially happen.

The hardsuit seemed to be quite flexible and would probably become easier to move in the more it was worn. Just to be sure, Sid used the space of the Cargo Hold to run around in circles to test her backflips, somersaults and rolls, much to Garrus and Wrex's confusion. It was a bit heavier than what she was used to wearing although she guessed it wouldn't take much time to adapt to its weight. Once she was satisfied that the hardsuit was up to her standards, she guessed that they were getting close to Noveria so there wasn't much point in changing. She took a moment to grab her weapons and gear – namely, a single pistol, her unmodified combat knife and her small inventions.

Then she headed up towards the cockpit, passing Liara and Kaidan who were waiting for the elevator to take them down to their lockers. Her guess had been correct: the _Normandy_ had just entered Noveria's atmosphere and a violent blizzard was raging although Joker didn't seem to have any problems in keeping the _Normandy_ steady in the violent winds. It looked cold outside and Sid suppressed a shiver – she wasn't exactly fond of cold weather. Jo, also in her full gear, was standing just behind Joker's chair and glanced at Sid when she approached, unsurprised to see her ready for their mission before the others.

"Approach Control, this is the _SSV Normandy_. Requesting a vector and a berth," Joker said over the radio as soon as they were in range.

_::_Normandy, _your arrival was not scheduled. Our defence grid is armed and tracking you. State your business.::_

Sid had forgotten how paranoid they could be. Perhaps she should have asked Jerry to schedule their arrival, although she doubted he had the necessary credentials to get through all the red tape. He was only security, after all. Joker rolled his eyes in response to their curt reply, much to Jo and Sid's amusement. Despite his annoyance, the helmsman remained professional.

"Citadel business," Joker answered simply, if a bit irritable. "We've got a Council Spectre aboard."

There was a long pause and, judging Jo's expression, she must have guessed that they weren't going to provide an "unscheduled arrival" access. Sid was about to point out that Spectres were the only authority Noveria actually respected but she was cut off with yet another curt reply.

_::Landing access granted, _Normandy_.::_

The navigation computer lit up and provided a direction for Joker to go in. The blizzard outside became a distant problem the moment Joker landed inside the docking bay which was protected from the cold and the snow.

_::Be advised, we will be confirming identification on arrival. If confirmation cannot be established, your vessel will be impounded.::_

Noveria Approach Control terminated communication once the _Normandy_ had completed the docking procedures.

"What a fun bunch," Joker remarked dryly. "I think I'll take my next leave here."

Jo smirked and started to walk towards the airlock to see if Liara and Lieutenant Alenko were ready to go yet.

"Try not to get too bored while I'm gone," Sid teased.

"Don't worry. I'm sure there are some colonists being controlled by a homicidal plant around here somewhere."

Sid grinned and then followed Jo to the airlock. Lieutenant Alenko had nearly reached them by that point with a somewhat pale Liara following just behind. She looked nervous and the pistol on her hip made her uncomfortable. The armour obviously didn't make her feel any safer either. Sid didn't blame Liara for her obvious discomfort. It was an unnatural thing to have to wear armour and carry a gun to see your own mother, even if they hadn't spoken in a while. Sid would have tried to comfort the young Asari, if the situation was different. The only way Liara would find any comfort from this ordeal would be with answers. It was just as these thoughts crossed her mind that she realised something very important: she was actually starting to get used to being a part of Jo's crew. When did that happen?

"Everyone ready to leave?" Jo asked, even as she quickly looked over her guns.

Sid decided to make a last minute check and once everyone was ready to go, they stepped through the airlock. The docks were cold but nowhere close to how cold it was outside. They walked in silence, mostly because no one really knew what to say and Sid was also expecting Noveria's version of security to arrest them. They didn't strike her as the type to follow their own rules. It was also puzzling, trying to figure out what exactly Matriarch Benezia was doing on Noveria. It wasn't exactly a secret that a few Spectres had invested in the businesses in the past. If Saren was like his business-minded colleagues, then that didn't bode well for Liara because if Benezia was here on Saren's orders, then she would likely be one of Saren's most trusted allies. One only invested with Noveria for one reason and it wasn't for their customer service.

The corridor eventually led to some doors nearby. Unfortunately, these doors were blocked by three guards. It was almost insulting that there were so few, almost as if they didn't believe Commander Shepard and her crew were a threat. A Human woman with black hair stood ahead of the other guards – a Turian and a blonde haired woman whom Sid took an instant disliking to. There was just something about her that bugged Sid and these gut feelings had saved her life on many an occasion. As Jo approached, the guards tensed and decided to close the distance between the two groups. Sid's attention was drawn to a pair of weapon turrets at the glass doors that led into the building as well as a few cameras mounted onto the walls. Yep, definitely paranoid.

The black-haired woman took a step forward so she was directly in their path. "That's far enough."

Sid raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Liara went to stand a little to Jo's right and Lieutenant Alenko to her left. Sid stood slightly closer to Jo where she had a clear line of sight over her right shoulder, just in case Liara froze if this encounter turned violent. Judging from the angry expression on the blonde's face, it was entirely possible.

Jo took a moment to assess the situation, trying to decide on the best course of action and decided it would be best if they played nice. "We aren't here to cause any trouble."

The gesture went ignored and the black-haired woman continued. "This is an unscheduled arrival. I need your credentials."

They really enjoyed reminding Jo that she was unscheduled. Sid glanced at Liara and noticed that she was pretty tense and was especially focused on every move the guards made. Perhaps she was trying to distract herself from thinking the worst about her mother. Then again, Liara hadn't exactly been in many fire fights so any sudden movements on the guards' side could spook her. Sid glanced to the other side and apparently Lieutenant Alenko had made the same observation.

"You first," Jo challenged. Maybe she was starting to get annoyed with these people too.

"We're the law here. Show some respect," the blonde cut in angrily.

This one would be trouble. Sid was about to argue back when she was silenced by a look from Jo. Then again, she could let Jo handle the diplomacy.

The black haired woman decided to answer the question anyway. "I'm Captain Maeko Matsuo, Elanus Risk Control Services."

"I'm Commander Jo Shepard with the Systems Alliance and Council Spectre."

"Load of horsecrap, ma'am," the blonde argued.

"Says the glorified mall cop," Sid countered.

The blonde's eyes narrowed and Sid just stared right back, refusing to blink. Sid was pretty confident that if this woman decided to fire first, she was agile enough to get out of the way. And if these mall cops opened fire first, then Jo would be within her rights to fire back in self-defence and could potentially land the blonde in trouble. Firing the first shot with two turrets nearby did not seem like the smart move.

Captain Matsuo decided to intervene. "We will need to confirm that. Also, I must advise you that firearms are not permitted on Noveria. Sergeant Stirling, secure their weapons."

Sergeant Stirling – the blonde – was a bit too eager to follow these particular orders and moved too fast which caused Jo, Sid, Lieutenant Alenko and Liara to react instinctively. In a second, Jo and Sid each had their pistols drawn and pointed them at the sergeant. Liara and Lieutenant Alenko glowed blue as their biotics kicked in as a warning. Neither biotic made a move nor prepared for an attack. Nevertheless the guards took a step back. They hadn't factored in a pair of powerful biotics. Even so, Sergeant Stirling and the Turian drew their guns in response. Only the Captain kept her weapon in its holster. This kind of diplomacy, Sid could handle.

A voice suddenly boomed over the intercoms.

_::Captain Matsuo, stand down! We confirmed their identity. Spectres are authorized to carry weapons here.::_

The two guards finally stood down and holstered their weapons. Sergeant Stirling looked a bit reluctant to do so and didn't approve of being proven wrong so publicly. Whoever this mysterious woman was, she certainly had good timing. Once the mall cops had their weapons secure, Jo ordered her squad to holster their weapons.

"You may proceed, Spectre," Captain Matsuo decided and took a step back so she was no longer blocking the path to the doors. "I hope the rest of your visit will be less confrontational. Parasini-san will meet you upstairs."

Sid couldn't stop herself from smirking. Captain Matsuo must not deal with Spectres very often and she obviously didn't know Jo very well otherwise she wouldn't have added that last warning. Jo nodded her head once in understanding and then led the way past the turrets and through the doors. Immediately, the chill in the air disappeared and was replaced by a comfortable temperature. The reception area, although well decorated and well heated, lacked any warmth. There was a fancy water feature and potted plants spread throughout which seemed more like a way of announcing the amount of money this place had rather than welcoming clients. They went up the stairs and approached the main desk. Alarms started to blare and Sid jumped slightly, being a bit on edge after the near confrontation out front.

"Weapon detectors," a woman with brown hair and a bright pink dress explained. "Don't mind the alarms."

Sid recognised her voice as the woman over the intercoms – who Captain Matsuo had referred to as 'Parasini-san'. She was saved from guessing when the woman introduced herself.

"I am Gianna Parasini, assistant to Administrator Anoleis. We apologise for the incident in the docking bay."

"Thank you for intervening," Jo replied while Sid decided to inspect the room they were standing in, making sure they weren't in any danger.

"You're welcome. You understand our security chief was only doing her job."

Jo nodded. "I understand but I'm also trying to do my job."

Gianna decided to move on. "I am also tasked with the orientation of new arrivals. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Has anyone…unusual passed through here recently?" Jo asked carefully.

Apparently, she was going the oblivious route, attempting to feign innocence. Perhaps this Assistant Parasini would be willing to let something slip if Jo pretended not to know anything and it was also possible for this woman to be on Saren's payroll. Sid liked the way she thought.

"Unusual?" Assistant Parasini repeated thoughtfully. "An Asari Matriarch passed through yesterday. Lady Benezia."

Liara gasped softly and started to talk to herself softly. Judging by the way her hands started to fidget and how she stared at the floor, she was experiencing some doubt. Sid and Lieutenant Alenko shared a look. This was Liara's decision to be here and she knew this was coming. The best they could do was make sure she didn't accidently let off any biotics or her gun, if she got any more distracted. If Gianna noticed this reaction, she kept it to herself while she and Jo continued their conversation. Now that Sid knew Benezia was definitely here, she was on high alert. Anyone could be watching on the Matriarch's behalf.

"I need to speak with her urgently," Jo said. "Could you set up a meeting?"

"Lady Benezia left for the Peak 15 research complex. To the best of my knowledge, she's still there," Assistant Parasini answered. Apparently that was a 'no'.

"Can you tell us how to get there?" Jo asked. "It is very important that I speak with her."

"You'll need to ask Administrator Anoleis for clearance to leave this port," Assistant Parasini explained.

Jo was silent for a moment. "Where can I find the administrator?"

Assistant Parasini provided Jo with directions and Jo thanked her for her time. Liara was still freaking out a bit so they decided it would probably be best if they took a few minutes to calm her down before going any further, in case Liara changed her mind about coming with them.

"She is here," Liara repeated, almost as if she had been spending this time convincing herself of the fact. "I can't believe it. I imagine you want to talk to me, Shepard...about my mother."

That wasn't what Sid, Lieutenant Alenko and Jo had been expecting. Perhaps a bit of panic, some more denial…not this. Jo's trust must mean a lot to Liara if she was offering to talk about it and despite Jo's earlier words, the young Asari was still intent on proving herself to the crew of the _Normandy_. Liara and Sid had both been subjected to a lot of suspicion and distrust from pretty much everyone. The only difference was Sid didn't really care whereas Liara wanted to be a part of the crew, she wanted to be trusted and accepted by everyone. It was a bit strange that Sid was a bit more trusted than Liara, even though Sid was a fugitive and Liara was an archaeologist. It was also a bit funny, in Sid's opinion. The others probably wouldn't find the humour in it. Definitely not Liara…not that the Asari found much funny anyway. Then again, Sid did socialise with the crew more.

"We don't need to talk, Liara," Jo answered gently. "I trust you and you may not be military but you are a member of my crew. That's enough for me."

Liara sighed and relaxed a bit. A great weight must have been lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you, Shepard. That means a great deal to me."

"Besides, you said you haven't spoken to her in a while. Sid could probably find out the information we need, if it comes to it."

Sid raised an eyebrow. Finding information on an Asari matriarch was not as easy as it sounded. And the Noveria records weren't easy to get into either. Jo flashed Sid a quick look and Sid realised that Jo had only said that to make Liara feel better. Sid silently sighed in relief, much to Lieutenant Alenko's slight amusement. They headed down another flight of stairs and reached an elevator. It was glass and a bit small but they managed to squeeze in together. Sid rolled her eyes at the voice over the elevator and its pointless dribble. It was going on and on about Noveria.

"What can you tell me about the Administrator?" Jo asked.

Sid brought up her omni-tool and started to navigate her way into Noveria's files. The firewalls were a bit hard to get through but she managed and started to scan through the files until she found the one she had been looking for. Just as she was about to open it, she noticed something weird.

"Huh," she muttered informatively.

When she didn't elaborate further, Jo sighed. "What is it, Sid?"

"Someone's flagged the administrator's file," she answered. "Basically, if someone tries to access the file or tries to change anything, it will alert whoever did it. It looks pretty serious."

"Which means…?" Jo prodded.

Lieutenant Alenko decided to continue the explanation. "Any activity in the file will be recorded and if Sid tries to find out who flagged the file, it could alert them as well."

"Considering we don't know who did it, I wouldn't advise taking a chance," Sid added.

"Agreed. I guess we'll just have to improvise," Jo decided.

The elevator slowed down and the doors opened, allowing them to exit one by one. A few people were still milling about and not one spared the group a glance. Either a group of well-armed humans and an Asari were commonplace or they were expected which likely meant they weren't going to get help from anyone here.

"Is it cold in here or is it just me?" Sid asked.

Jo smiled in response, clearly following her line of thinking. "I'll go speak to Administrator Anoleis…"

"Apparently there's a bar here," Sid interrupted suddenly, after examining a map of the area. She looked up to find Jo and Lieutenant Alenko giving her weird looks. "What? It's a legitimate point. Alcohol usually means people are careless with information. It's amazing what you can learn in a bar."

Jo raised a sceptical eyebrow. "All right. You three head to the bar and see what information you can turn up."

Sid looked at Lieutenant Alenko. "You're sending a babysitter?"

Jo resisted the urge to smile, only succeeding slightly. "I'm hoping Anoleis will be more willing to talk if there's only one other person in the room."

"Besides, I could go for a beer," Lieutenant Alenko admitted.

Sid looked at the lieutenant in surprise. "Now there's a shock. I thought all Marines forgot how to have fun."

Jo and Lieutenant Alenko smiled in amusement as they went their separate ways while Liara continued to watch them in confusion. Sid led the way to the bar, trying to decide if Liara could use a drink. It could help her relax a bit and get her to focus on the mission rather than the possible outcome of a confrontation with her mother. It could also possibly lead to the Asari getting drunk and losing control over her biotics. Perhaps Jo was right: maybe Sid _did_ need a babysitter, even if Jo hadn't openly said so.

* * *

><p>Shepard grit her teeth in annoyance as she left Administrator Anoleis' office. That Salarian was pretty damn slimy and Shepard was forced to remember that she couldn't use her guns to get out of this. Perhaps letting Sid go off to the bar had not been the best move ever because she disliked going in blind and a character like Anoleis needed to be handled in a specific way, usually involving blackmail…not that Shepard knew what she could have done, other than made the situation worse. It was possible that Sid knew more than she was letting on and that she still had a few tricks up her sleeve that she wouldn't reveal until she had to but Shepard liked to think that Sid wasn't keeping things from her intentionally.<p>

Maybe she could use a drink. Shepard navigated her way towards the Hotel Bar. It was large and the tables had a lot of space between them, maybe in an effort to prevent eavesdropping. It was also quite busy – apparently the blizzard outside was good for business. It took her all of two seconds to spot her squad mates. They had selected a table that was out of the way but still nearby some crowded tables. It had most likely been Sid's suggestion what with all her experience in eavesdropping. There was also a fourth empty chair just waiting for her so she made her way over.

As she got closer, she was surprised to find all three of them had some type of alcoholic beverage in front of them. Liara had what looked to be a glass of Asari wine which she was carefully sipping; Kaidan had a bottle of beer which he held casually and Sid had a small glass of whiskey on the rocks. If seeing Liara drinking alcohol wasn't strange enough, Sid and Kaidan were having a conversation which seemed to involve a lot of laughing. Some babysitter he appeared to be. Shepard had to absently wonder just how much alcohol had been consumed and just how much information they had managed to find.

"Jo," Sid greeted a bit too enthusiastically. "What're you having? I'm buying."

Shepard raised an eyebrow in response as she carefully lowered herself into the chair. "You do realise we're technically on duty and shouldn't be having anything?"

Sid lowered her voice to an almost inaudible whisper. "And do _you_ realise we're in a bar attempting to gather information? We need to keep up appearances."

"Fine," Shepard allowed slowly. "I'll have a beer."

"Great," Sid replied and managed to order from the bar with hand signals.

Shepard was just about to start asking questions about what they had found out, other than how the alcohol tastes, when Liara caught her attention. The Asari had been very quiet – more so than usual – and her cheeks were slightly flushed due to the wine she was drinking. If she was so….sheltered as Shepard had been led to believe based on her inexperience with humans and combat then it was reasonable to expect that she probably didn't have any alcohol tolerance whatsoever.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to drink…now?" Shepard asked carefully, attempting to be tactful.

"Sydney assures me there are many beneficial properties to drinking now," Liara answered quietly.

Shepard looked to Sid in a disapproving way.

"What?" Sid asked with an innocent shrug. "It'll help her relax and she's only allowed one glass. I'm not exactly in a hurry to see a drunken biotic show."

Shepard sighed when she saw Kaidan also looked mildly guilty and could only shake her head. Somehow she should have seen this one coming.

"How did your meeting go?" Kaidan decided to ask, perhaps to circumvent any lecture from Shepard.

"Not very good," Shepard admitted, trying to hide her slight amusement at Kaidan's attempt. "To get to Peak 15, we'll have to drive. To get a vehicle, we need a Garage Pass. To get a Garage Pass, we need Anoleis to give it to us which he won't do…willingly, at least. He's claiming we can't go out because of the blizzard and he's sticking to that story."

"But you don't believe him?" Kaidan guessed.

Shepard shook her head thoughtfully. "No. He's jumpy and not just because of me. And there's something about him I just don't trust."

"He's dirty," Sid interjected nonchalantly as Shepard received her beer.

"How could you possibly know that, Sid?" Shepard asked sceptically.

Sid shrugged and lifted her glass casually. "Because I'm good at what I do."

Even Liara, who was still quietly sipping her wine, was unconvinced. If neither Liara nor Kaidan had any idea what she was talking about – considering the three of them had been sitting together in the exact same place - how could the information and this theory be accurate?

"It may be a rumour," Sid allowed slowly after taking a sip of her whiskey, evidently choosing her words very carefully, "but it does explain a lot, like why Anoleis' files have been flagged or why he is so jumpy, especially around a Spectre. It could even explain why that Turian over there is locked out of his office while Elanus Mall Cops are searching it."

Shepard was still not convinced. It looked as though Sid was catching random fragments of conversation – likely brought on by too much alcohol considering, with the blizzard, there was little more to do than drink and speculate in the Hotel Bar – and she was now trying to make them fit together, whether or not it actually made sense. Maybe she was grasping at straws. "How can you be so sure?"

"I haven't just been sitting here, drinking alcohol and swapping stories with the lieutenant," Sid answered impatiently. "I hacked into Sergeant Stirling's personal system-"

Shepard cut her off by raising her hand. "The woman you nearly started a fight with in the docks?"

"…maybe. There was something about her I didn't trust, okay? Why is it when that happens, I'm holding a grudge but when you do it, it's your instincts?"

Shepard was silent for a moment. "You've made your point. Continue."

"There were a few internal emails that I was able to trace without triggering any alerts and I managed to discover something. To double check, I also investigated her accounts. Stirling is working for Anoleis, getting paid under the table, as it were. The Turian – Lorik Qui'in – has something Anoleis wants so Anoleis has them searching his office. Captain Matsuo doesn't know either, as far as I can tell. Only a corrupt person has a need for corrupt underlings. Perhaps…a favour for a favour?" Sid suggested.

"Perhaps," Shepard considered, assuming this Lorik Qui'in didn't expect her to do something illegal in return. "So…what? Offer to get whatever it is he's hiding and he'll ask the administrator nicely to give me a Garage Pass?"

Sid scoffed but it was Kaidan who answered, apparently he had done some of his own information gathering. "If we're right then Lorik has the authority to give you a Garage Pass. You won't even need to talk to the administrator again."

Perhaps there was something to this plan after all. It didn't sound so crazy, once Sid explained the method to her madness. Kaidan also seemed to be following her line of thinking so perhaps this just might actually work.

"Where is this Lorik Qui'in?"

Sid casually nodded her head in the direction of a table close to the windows on the opposite side of the large room. It had two chairs with the backs facing the window. One seat was occupied by a Turian who didn't exactly look concerned about his situation, assuming Sid's information was accurate. He was actually rather calm and looked as though he didn't have a care in the world as he continued to enjoy his drink. Shepard looked back at Sid for confirmation and she nodded in reply. Just as Shepard got to her feet, Sid told her to wait.

"Just some advice, Jo," Sid offered. "These people aren't like Marines. They don't speak in affirmatives and they tend to dance around the topic so they don't incriminate themselves. It requires…subtlety."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You want me to talk like a criminal?"

"Not at all. Just…don't talk like a Marine."

Shepard shot Sid a disapproving look. She was a Marine, through and through, and she wasn't prepared to change who she was, just for the purpose of a simple conversation that may or may not help them. She left her untouched beer on the table and walked over to the Turian, choosing to stay true to her usual direct approach. It had never failed her yet. At her approach, Lorik Qui'in looked up at her and didn't seem surprised to see an armed human approach him.

"Afternoon," he greeted politely. "Sit down, have a drink. What can I do for you?"

Shepard took the offered seat. "I understand you might be in a position to help me."

"And I understand that you are the Spectre that just arrived," Qui'in answered. "What could an old Turian like me possibly help you with?"

Shepard resisted the urge to groan at the obvious glibness. As if she didn't have to deal with enough of it with Sid around. "I'm trying to find a way into the garage. I…have things I need to do."

"You need a pass," Qui'in stated. It was not a question. "How fortuitous." He didn't sound particularly thrilled. "I'm the manager of the local Synthetic Insights office. For the moment, at least." He paused here and took a moment to regard Shepard, as if he were sizing her up. He then decided to take a different approach to the conversation. "Mr Anoleis closed my office. He claims to be investigating reports of my corruption. The administrator is an interesting man. He has become quite wealthy since he took direct control of rents, as I'm sure your companion most likely told you."

Sid hinted at something along those lines so Shepard decided to heed her advice and take the "criminal" route…just this once. "That is quite the coincidence."

"Indeed," Qui'in agreed simply. "I acquired evidence of Anoleis' actions. His hired goons are ransacking my office to find it. I suspect we can help each other out. Mr Anoleis would be disinclined to let you wander and he is disinclined to let me into my office. If you recover the evidence from my office, I will give you my garage pass."

This didn't sound illegal and it would get her one step closer to catching Saren. "I'm guessing you have some sort of plan in mind?"

"I do," Qui'in admitted. "However, there is one other – what is that charming human expression? 'Fly in the lotion'?"

Shepard wanted to correct him but then she decided it was close enough.

"Violence against Mr Anoleis' thugs may be necessary. He has members of Hanshan's security team searching my offices. He is paying them under the table. Ms Matsuo is unaware of their outside employment," Qui'in continued.

Sid was right yet again and Shepard's eyes drifted towards Sid, who was listening to Kaidan, telling some or other story. Qui'in's 'fly in the lotion' was definitely a problem. Shepard didn't want to kill cops – even mall cops, as Sid so often referred to them - so if it was possible to find some way to avoid shooting them, she would find it.

"I'll find some way to deal with them," Shepard answered simply.

"Then here is my pass into our offices. It will unlock the elevator," he explained. "The evidence is on my office computer. This OSD contains an encryption key to access it. Slide it into the drive and it will auto-execute."

Qui'in handed Shepard the necessary credentials and the OSD. Shepard thanked him for his time and got up to return to Sid's table.

"And do try to keep blood stains off the carpets, would you?" he added as she started to walk away.

Shepard returned to the table and decided to have a drink of the beer Sid had bought for her. It took her a moment to notice that Liara's glass still had more or less the same amount as when she first left and the Asari didn't look to be as tense.

"What's the plan, Commander?" Kaidan asked.

"Sid was right," she answered and Sid moved her whiskey glass in a toasting fashion as if saying 'cheers'. "Anoleis is corrupt and Qui'in has the evidence in his office. If we retrieve it for him, he'll give us his Pass and we can go to Peak 15."

Sid was about to drink her whiskey when she paused with the glass halfway to her lips. "And somehow that doesn't sound like good news."

"I would like to avoid killing any guards," Shepard answered, indicating that Sid was right on another thing. "If there is some way to avoid shooting each other, we have to find it but if it can't be avoided…well, they are dirty, I suppose."

Sid took that moment to down the last of her whiskey and Liara took a large gulp of her wine to steady her nerves in case she was needed in combat. Kaidan had already finished his beer and Shepard wasn't really in the mood for hers so, once Sid closed her tab at the bar, Shepard led the way towards Synthetic Insights, already trying to come up with a plan to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Just a quick heads up, I will be skipping quite a bit of the Noveria content. I find the level tedious to play at the best of times and I just can't bring myself to write most of the Hot Labs because it will be dull and, quite possibly, confusing.**

**Please read and review. I'd love to hear some feedback on the story so far, especially if you have anything you think should be fixed or changed and any advice to make it better.**

**Thank you to those who have reviewed and added this story to their favourites and alerts. I appreciate the support and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter 14**

Jo led the way towards Synthetic Insights and Sid couldn't stop herself from discreetly checking out every guard they happened to cross paths with. It was hard to tell just how many guards were corrupt or which ones were working for Anoleis or possibly Saren. If these guards could be bought so easily, then it was worth staying alert, just in case. She also kept an eye on Liara. The Asari appeared to be handling the alcohol well – not that she actually drank much of it, especially considering how much it cost - and she had also relaxed a bit…until Jo mentioned they might have to shoot a few people…a few well-armed and trained guards. This ought to be interesting, to put it mildly.

It didn't take long for them to reach the Synthetic Insights office and the pass that Qui'in gave Jo unlocked the elevator, just as he said it would. It was refreshing to see that a corporate employee could actually be honest, especially on Noveria. As they squeezed into the glass elevator, Sid brought up her omni-tool again and started to hack her way into the Noveria security systems, specifically any security cameras located in or near the Synthetic Insights office. She wanted to give Jo a heads-up of what they might possibly be fighting inside. There wasn't exactly much time for her to watch and count every guard that entered either so she had to guess.

"It looks like there will be quite a few guards inside," Sid announced, her eyes never leaving the footage she was watching. "And they look ready for a fight. Everyone is armoured and they all have quite a few guns. I don't know if you'll be able to talk your way out of this one, Jo."

"You underestimate me, Sid," Jo replied with a small smile.

Sid was sceptical. In her experience, if people were armed to the teeth while doing something relatively simple and not dangerous – such as searching an office for incriminating evidence - then they would likely be looking for a fight and would not be convinced otherwise. Jo was a smooth talker, that much was true, but that didn't necessarily mean people were going to listen every single time. Not everyone wanted to be persuaded from their current choices, especially if they believed they had the upper hand and were being paid a large amount of credits. It was amazing what money could convince some people to do. Sid decided to keep these thoughts to herself as the elevator doors opened and revealed a large office.

The main floor had a few tables, some large plants in bright orange pots and large rock columns that divided the room into three sections but there wasn't much cover. There was also a staircase located in the centre of the wall to their right which led up a level. Two guards tensed at their approach, a human woman and a Turian. The woman raised her palm in a gesture to make them stop and the Turian drew his assault rifle and pointed it directly at them. Liara unconsciously took a step closer to Sid and Kaidan – whom Sid was now on a first name basis with after their drinks – also tensed, ready to throw up a Barrier between Jo and the guards if this situation escalated quickly. Jo, for her part, remained calm and collected as she came to a stop and watched the guard expectantly.

"Freeze!" the guard ordered threateningly. "Hanshan Security. This office is sealed."

Jo slowly folded her arms in front of her chest. "I have permission to be here. Lorik Qui'in granted me access."

Sid tried to hide a smile as Jo subtly pointed out that of the two groups, hers actually had the correct permission to be in the office and were not doing Anoleis' dirty work.

"Qui'in?" the guard repeated slowly, her confidence slipping slightly. "Are you working for him? He's under investigation."

Her voice grew more authoritative as she argued her case, almost like she was trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing. Jo must have picked up on the guard's slight hesitation because her posture relaxed even more.

"Anoleis is paying you to search this office," Jo stated bluntly. "I wonder…does Captain Matsuo know you're here? Perhaps we should go and ask her."

The guards visibly stiffened. They had no idea that Jo knew that much about their…questionable actions and loyalties. Sid smirked as the guard slowly paled and then decided it was perhaps in their best interest if they left.

"Hey," the guard argued back angrily. "I'm not the one who wants Qui'in. Anoleis has a varren up his ass about this guy. How about this? You pretend you didn't see us and we'll pretend we didn't see you."

"Agreed."

The guards filed out quickly and disappeared into the elevator.

"Well played," Sid complimented.

"And you doubted me?" Jo teased and then turned serious. "There are still some guards inside so watch yourselves. They had their opportunity to leave and didn't take it. If they open fire first, it will be-"

Whatever Jo was about to say was interrupted by a gunshot from behind. While Kaidan threw up a barrier, Sid drew her pistol and fired at the offending guard to give them time to find cover. Jo and Kaidan ducked behind one of the large stone walls with Liara trailing behind them while Sid hid behind one of the large potted plants close to where they had been standing. Judging from the gunshots coming from Jo's general position, there were more guards than they had originally thought. Sid decided that Jo and Kaidan could look after themselves and Liara so there was no need to worry about what was happening on their side so she focused on her target.

He was hiding behind the other stone wall on the opposite side of the room. For the time being, Sid had reasonable cover from all sides and if someone managed to get closer to her, she would most likely catch the movement. The guard peeked around his cover and Sid had been waiting for him to do so. She opened fire on him with her pistol to wear down his shields and then took the kill shot. There was another orange potted plant up ahead. Sid quickly checked her surroundings to make sure she was in the clear and then, keeping in a crouched position, moved to the next point of cover. Even if there weren't any more guards down this way, she could always circle around and attack from behind. The majority of the guards didn't seem to realise there was a fourth person to Jo's squad.

There was another guard leaning against the other side of the wall that Jo was using as cover and Sid had a clear line of fire. This, of course, meant she was exposed and this guard also had a clear line of sight to her. As long as she took the guard down quickly, then she could move. The guard peered around the side of the wall, trying to find Jo's location and Sid was just about to use this distraction to overwhelm him when he was soon absorbed in blue energy and flung across the room. She continued on her way and made it to the far side of the room – opposite to the elevator – and found only two dead guards. With the rock wall at her back, she ran sideways with her pistol clutched between both hands. This way, she would be ready to open fire at a moment's notice.

Once she reached the edge of the wall, she looked around it and found another guard attempting to change cover while firing his weapon at…Jo, presumably. Sid aimed her pistol and opened fire. The guard stopped and turned to face Sid so he could return fire. Before he could pull the trigger and Sid could duck behind cover, Jo leant around the wall and killed the guard. Jo then used quick hand signals to indicate that they needed to approach the flight of stairs carefully because there would likely be more guards. It took Sid a moment to put the pieces together – her military hand signals were rusty in some areas – and then nodded her head once before closing the gap between herself and Jo, Liara and Kaidan.

Jo, with her assault rifle ready for action, carefully led them upstairs. Kaidan followed close behind and then Liara. Sid brought up the rear and couldn't help but notice Liara's pistol shaking slightly. The second floor was smaller and didn't have any of the rock walls. The plants in big orange pots seemed to be popular though and there were also tall railings made out of solid rock so no one would fall over the side. Jo had turned a table onto its side, Kaidan and Liara stayed behind the barrier near the stairs so they could use their biotics at a safe distance and Sid used a potted plant once again for cover.

A guard opened fire as she attempted to change cover and Kaidan used his biotics to throw the guard against the wall. It wasn't as strong as downstairs so the guard survived. Between Jo and Sid, that wasn't the case much longer. Once the guard was dead, they remained where they were for a few moments to make sure the coast was clear before emerging from cover and looking around. Jo's talk earlier must have persuaded more guards to leave than Sid realised. Qui'in's office was on the other side of the room and was conveniently connected by a thin bridge. Synthetic Insights certainly had style. Not many offices could use bridges so well.

"Do you think this bridge is for convenience or a way to intimidate those walking across it?" Sid abruptly asked as they approached the doors.

Jo looked at her sideways. "Do we care?"

Sid shrugged casually as she appreciated the view of the office from above. "You just don't see many offices with bridges, is all."

"Why is it you find the strangest things fascinating?" Kaidan suddenly asked.

"I'm a curious person, Kaidan."

"You do know what they say about curiosity and cats, right?" Jo pointed out.

"It's a good thing I'm not a cat then," Sid argued and then noticed Liara's confusion. Perhaps Humans did have a few odd expressions...not that she was prepared to explain this particular expression to Liara.

The doors opened at their approach and Sid immediately veered off to make herself comfortable in Qui'in's desk chair. Jo then tossed the OSD to her and she caught it effortlessly. While she inserted the OSD into the computer and waited for the download, Kaidan and Liara kept watch by the door. The earlier fight did seem to be a bit too easy and none of them wanted to be ambushed. Jo hovered behind Sid and watched the computer intently. Sid didn't know if it was because Jo wanted to make sure the OSD executed correctly or to make sure Sid didn't attempt to download anything from the computer that she shouldn't. Maybe it was both.

Once the download had completed, Sid pulled out the OSD and handed it to Jo without needing to be asked. They retraced their steps across the bridge and were surprised to come face to face with more guards…led by none other than Sergeant Stirling. There were a few other guards standing behind her and boy, did she look angry. Her cold eyes drifted over Sid with intense dislike before focusing on Jo with even more anger. Sid _really_ didn't like this woman. It was probably best to let Jo handle the talking.

"I don't think you're supposed to be in here, Shepard," Stirling said icily.

Jo raised an eyebrow. "Sergeant Stirling. Somehow I'm not surprised to see you here."

"Anoleis would throw you off-world for what you did here. I won't," Stirling said menacingly, ignoring Jo's words completely. "You know what we did to cop killers on my world?"

"_Please_," Sid scoffed.

"You're here on your off duty hours to accept bribe money," Kaidan helpfully translated.

"You're as corrupt as Anoleis," Sid finished.

Jo was apparently still taking the diplomatic route. "They didn't give me a choice, Stirling. They fired first and I defended myself."

Stirling started to glow blue. "Well, I don't need a gun to rip you to pieces."

Jo and Sid exchanged a look the moment her biotics started to glow. This certainly was unexpected. Without another word, Sid pulled out one of her smoke balls and threw it so it landed at Stirling's feet. Jo fired her gun at it and the moment the dark smoke began to fill the room, Sid grabbed Liara by the elbow and pulled her behind another potted plant while Jo and Kaidan found their own cover nearby. A few guards started to fire wildly in the confusion but none of the shots were even close, luckily. By the time the smoke cleared, there was no sign of Jo's squad which just added to their confusion. As they continued to look for their enemies, Sid grabbed her shield disruptor and slid it across the floor.

The guards didn't notice it until it beeped and, as per Tali's work, detonated on time. Quite a few shield generators blew and, at that moment, Jo, Kaidan, Sid and even Liara rolled out of their cover and opened fire. Stirling managed to prepare a biotic attack to throw Sid across the room but Liara was faster and threw up a barrier around them both which protected them. Sid was then able to fire at Stirling before she was able to send another biotic attack their way, keeping her on the defensive while wearing down her shields at the same time. Jo and Kaidan were also making quite a good team. Kaidan would use his biotics to keep the guards off balance while Jo used her assault rifle to kill them, eventually joining Sid in attacking Stirling. It didn't take that long for the guards to be defeated and the offices soon became silent.

"Nice work with the barrier," Sid said to Liara as she went to retrieve the device.

"Thank you," Liara replied quietly and with a small smile.

Sid then looked to Jo. "See?" she whined and pointed at Stirling. "I have instincts too."

Jo smiled in amusement. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

"That's better," Sid decided with a nod.

Jo led the amused group back towards the elevator. As far as they could tell, they had killed everyone inside. The ride in the elevator was silent, mostly because Jo was thinking very hard about something and Liara was slowly coming down from the adrenaline rush and she wasn't quite sure how to feel about the part she played in the deaths of the guards. Sid was casually leaning against the glass while she waited and Kaidan was watching Liara closely which made sense considering he was the medic of the team.

"Sid?"

Sid looked to Jo expectantly.

"When we're done on Noveria, can you send an anonymous email to Captain Matsuo?" Jo requested. "I feel bad about her not knowing her guards aren't loyal to her."

"Of course. 'Anonymous' is my middle name, after all," Sid answered.

"And here I thought it was 'Rebecca'."

Sid narrowed her eyes playfully. "Two can play at that game, Camilla."

Jo silently regarded Sid for a moment. "Touché."

Neither of them had actually realised that, once again, they had let their guard down and revealed that they knew each other better than they let on. The elevator slid to a stop and they all exited it. They didn't get very far when they came across Ms Pink Dress herself: Gianna Parasini. Somehow she knew more information about what happened on Noveria than she let on and – possibly – was supposed to know. Jo gave Sid, Liara and Kaidan a look that clearly said 'I'll handle this' and approached Gianna. Personally, Sid thought she should have handled it but it would be entertaining to see how Jo would do it.

"Commander," Gianna greeted politely. "There've been reports of noise coming from the Synthetic Insights office. Would you know anything about it?"

Gianna phrased the question in such a way that provided everyone with a way out, assuming one saw it, and there was no accusation anywhere. Sid already had a perfectly good answer lined up but she kept it to herself and fervently hoped that Jo would follow her advice otherwise they would have some serious explaining to do.

Jo shrugged innocently. "It must be Anoleis' thugs ripping the place apart."

Sid smiled. It was a good answer – a decent attempt from a novice – that didn't incriminate them in the slightest and it didn't suggest that they had entered the office at all. Jo had also…neglected to mention that those "thugs" were dirty cops, information that they would have known only if they had gone inside. Jo certainly was learning.

Gianna was not convinced even though she didn't immediately call Jo on it. "Smartass, hm? That's fine. I can work with that. Meet me at the hotel for a drink before you talk with Qui'in. I'll be waiting."

She then turned around and made her way towards the Hotel Bar while Jo, Sid and Kaidan exchanged mystified glances.

"That was…strangely cryptic of her," Kaidan commented.

"This is just a guess…but I don't think Gianna is just the Administrator's assistant," Sid stated.

Jo shot her look. "You're only realising that now?"

Sid shrugged but otherwise did not comment. Sometimes it was hard to tell when Sid was suspicious of someone for a specific reason or if it was just her paranoia and her trust issues getting the better of her. It was for this reason that Sid didn't voice her earlier suspicions of Gianna, mostly because she didn't know why she was suspicious of the woman and chalked it up to her own paranoia. It didn't matter now. They were about to get some answers when they reached the Bar so there was no use randomly guessing what Gianna's motivations could be. And it also appeared unlikely that Gianna was an enemy. She could have called the Elanus Mall Cops on them, instead of playing dumb and allowing them to walk away unscathed. Obviously, she meant them no harm…or so Sid hoped.

* * *

><p>The walk towards the Garage was peaceful and relaxing, compared to some of the other stuff that had gone on lately. Shepard felt particularly good that she was able to persuade Lorik Qui'in to give his evidence over to Noveria Internal Affairs and it was satisfying to watch Gianna arrest Anoleis. She didn't like to hold grudges but Anoleis definitely deserved to go to prison. She also hoped that things would work out for Qui'in and that she hadn't made a bad decision convincing him to testify against the slimy Salarian. Whatever happened next, at least there was one less criminal to deal with.<p>

The guard who stood watch outside the Garage let them pass without incident as Gianna had come through with her end of the bargain and had provided them with a Garage Pass. A sudden feeling of unease settled in Shepard's stomach as they entered the Garage. Things had been a bit too easy, as far as Matriarch Benezia was concerned. Matriarchs were known for their wisdom and Benezia did bring along some Asari Commandos and large, suspicious crates. There was no way that she wouldn't have prepared something for Shepard…or anyone else who might attempt to follow her.

"Commander?" Kaidan asked softly when they didn't move from the door after a few minutes.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Shepard replied and looked uneasily around the room. "Stay on your guard."

Sid gave her a funny look. "Are your Spectre senses tingling?"

Shepard would have laughed, if not for the fact that she still felt really uneasy. Even despite her joke, Sid took the warning seriously and drew her pistol, just in case. Kaidan and Liara hung back, in case their biotics were needed. Shepard readied her assault rifle and she and Sid slowly walked further into the Garage. The building was large and square with a high roof. The wall opposite them had the large door that would lead them into the next section of the Garage and the door that would open up onto the planet's surface. This room seemed to be for storage because a lot of large crates were spread around the room and tools that would be used to maintain the various vehicles lined the walls in neat toolboxes.

They were only a few steps inside when a pair of large Geth entered through the doorway on the opposite side of the room. Shepard and Sid quickly hid behind the closest crate while Kaidan and Liara had to rush forward to hide behind another crate. The Geth hadn't noticed them so surprise was still on their side. Shepard gave the signal to hold their positions and wait. Although these Geth were pretty big and would likely pack quite a punch, they had no way of knowing if these were the only Geth hiding in the Garage. The Geth slowly approached with their weapons drawn and examined the room with every step. If Shepard waited any longer, the Geth might notice them by accident.

She decided to take a chance and ordered Kaidan to biotically throw one of the Geth across the room to buy them time to bring the other one down. Once Kaidan did as he was told, they opened fire on the second Geth. Shepard's gun easily attracted its attention and she found she had to dodge quite a few rockets that were sent her way. She didn't mind because, even though Sid could handle herself, it kept the rockets away from Liara who was trying her hardest to bring the Geth's shields down. Kaidan then sent a Warp and Liara followed it with a singularity. The other Geth soon approached and joined in the fight. This certainly made life more difficult.

Sid and Shepard then both had to duck behind cover as a pair of rockets was fired at them and Shepard looked to Sid, hoping she had a trick up her sleeve. Sid reached into her small pouch and took out her shield disruptor, shaking her head in answer. It must need some time to recharge before it could be used again…quite a lot of time, by the looks of things. Sid then holstered her guns and took out the two small devices she had last used on Feros and then looked to Shepard. Shepard understood what she needed to do immediately: distract the Geth so Sid had a chance to throw the devices.

Shepard caught the attention of Kaidan and Liara and used quick hand signals to tell them that Sid needed suppressing fire. She then leant around the crate and opened fire with her assault rifle, using short bursts at a time. When one Geth was focused on her and the other was focused on Kaidan and Liara, Sid crouched and peered around the crate before sliding her two devices along the floor. One device stopped in front of each Geth. After a few moments, the devices activated and electricity shot up the bodies of the Geth. They were also standing close enough together that the electricity arced between them. As they convulsed involuntarily, Kaidan and Liara opened fire on the Geth closest to them and Shepard and Sid fired at the other Geth. Just as the devices timed out, the Geth were killed. Tali must have cranked up the power of those things.

A subtle movement caught Shepard's eye and she looked up to the ceiling. Two of those creepy Geth stalkers were running along the ceiling towards them. The others had noticed Shepard watching something and followed her line of sight. These things were tricky to take down and they could cause quite a lot of damage. Shepard pointed her assault rifle at the nearest one and was about to pull the trigger when it suddenly jumped away. She really hated these bloody things. Thankfully, she had two biotics with her who could even the playing field. The characteristic hum of the stalker's laser targeting system filled her ears and she looked behind her in time to see Sid dive out of the way. The stalker remained in its place and Shepard opened fire. She hit it a few times before it jumped away again.

When she looked to her side, she found Kaidan and Liara were standing back to back. At first, she was confused with this until each biotic enveloped a stalker in blue energy, holding them in place. Sid opened fire on Kaidan's stalker and Shepard followed Sid's example by shooting the other stalker. Sid managed to kill hers much quicker – it was likely the same one Shepard had shot earlier – and then continued to fire her pistol at Shepard's. When the biotics finally released them, they collapsed to the floor with a loud thump. Once the coast was clear, they gathered together to make sure no one was injured. Just then, the doors opened and Captain Matsuo ran in, her gun at the ready even if she had no idea what was going on.

"What the-? What are these things?" the Captain stuttered before she was able to regain her composure. "Fan out and secure the area! No one gets in and no one leaves."

The guards that had accompanied her followed her orders. They were likewise confused and stared at the Geth or at Shepard. Perhaps Elanus Risk Control Services didn't prepare them for a Geth attack. Then again, what would Geth be doing on a corporate world, if it wasn't for Matriarch Benezia? Once Captain Matsuo realised the Geth were actually dead, she focused on Shepard as if this was all her fault. Maybe it wasn't that far from the truth.

"What did you do here, Commander?" Captain Matsuo demanded. It sounded more like an accusation than a question.

"I defended myself," Shepard answered evenly. "The Geth attacked and we reacted accordingly."

"Geth? You expect me to-?" Captain Matsuo cut herself off and took a moment to consider the situation. "Where did they come from?" she asked instead, with a sigh.

While Shepard could understand that an attack by the Geth was hard to believe, it was harder to ignore the dead Geth behind them. She was a little bit tired of people continuously doubting her when she had no reason to lie. At least the Captain came around quite quickly. It was also clear that the Captain was unsure of how to proceed but she would not hesitate to arrest Shepard if she thought it was the best route to take. This was a delicate situation.

"We believe that Matriarch Benezia brought them, packing them into those large crates that she brought with her," Shepard answered carefully and gave Sid a look that once again said "I will handle this".

"I do not believe that. We did thorough scans of those containers. There were no power sources, no element zero masses…" Captain Matsuo drifted off and then must have decided it was a possibility. "_If_ Benezia-sama's containers are packed with those things, there are many more out there."

That did not bode well. "Do you have any idea how many there could be?" Shepard asked.

"There were dozens at least," Captain Matsuo answered. "They are machines. You could pack them tightly. I must report to the Executive Board. If word gets out about loose Geth, there may be an investor panic."

"Thank you for your help, Captain," Shepard replied. "Good luck."

"I think you may need it more than me but thanks," the Captain answered and then left the Garage.

Shepard certainly didn't envy her. She led her squad towards the adjoining room and found a single Mako was sitting in the centre of the room. Shepard could have sworn she heard Sid groan when they noticed the Mako. It was a tight fit inside the vehicle and it definitely wasn't going to be a comfortable ride. Shepard sat in front behind the steering wheel. Sid and Liara sat in the seat behind Shepard and Kaidan decided to man the turret. Once everyone was in their seat and buckled up, the Garage doors opened and at first, Shepard couldn't see anything because of the blizzard that was raging on. She suppressed a shiver even though she couldn't actually feel the cold and then urged the Mako forward. She went slowly at first until they were out of the Garage. It was easier to see what was going on ahead of them.

She checked the radar once to make sure there weren't any Geth ahead and then put her foot flat on the pedal. Sid grunted and Liara squeaked as the Mako suddenly lurched forward with the sudden acceleration. The first few corners were a little tricky to navigate because she hadn't expected the Mako to slide along the snow and ice. Sid muttered a few words that sounded like curses and Liara continued to squeak as they were flung around the back seat. It was probably a good thing the Mako came with such sturdy seatbelts.

"Do you mind?" Sid asked in a voice of forced calm. "I would like to get there alive."

Shepard snorted. "Relax, Sid. My driving hasn't killed anyone."

"…yet," Kaidan added quietly from the turret.

Shepard would have retorted to that comment or done something to wipe the smirk off of Sid's all too pleased face when the turret cut her off. A few Geth were in the road ahead and Shepard was glad that Kaidan had such good aim. She didn't even need to slow down as they were killed.

"The Alliance doesn't have advanced driving courses, do they?" Sid guessed as Shepard slid across some ice and Kaidan fired a few rockets at a Geth turret.

"…no. Why?" Shepard replied slowly.

"Because your manic driving will get us killed," Sid answered.

Shepard sniffed indignantly. "My driving is not 'manic'. It's _evasive_ driving."

"Uh huh."

They continued to speed along in silence, aside from the occasional explosion when Kaidan destroyed Geth or a turret. Sid's comment offended Shepard and she decided, just to prove a point, to drive a bit less…evasively. It was harder than she first realised and somehow ended up doing a few more power slides and nearly hit the wall on a few occasions too. Luckily, she was able to pretend that she meant to do that – not that she convinced Sid – especially when they managed to dodge a rocket or two because of these near accidents. The blizzard continued, oblivious to the small vehicle making its way along the mountain and the wind often buffeted the vehicle, which didn't make the driving any easier. At least Sid had stopped commenting.

Eventually, the road came to a stop outside a small room. Presumably, it would provide them with access into the Peak 15 Research Station. Shepard slammed on brakes and the Mako drifted forward a bit, coming to a complete stop, just millimetres from the door and beside the leftovers of a burning vehicle. She turned around to check that everyone was all right and was surprised to find Liara was clinging to Sid's arm in terror and Sid was attempting to do something on her omni-tool – either she was trying to ignore Liara or she just didn't notice the young Asari clinging on for dear life. Shepard's driving couldn't be _that _bad…could it?

"According to the Noveria security cameras," Sid began. "Matriarch Benezia arrived with a squad of Asari Commandos. I count…eight. As for the amount of Geth, I really can't tell." It was at this moment that Liara stiffly released Sid's arm, now that it was clear the Mako wasn't going to move for a while.

Shepard nodded once. "Hopefully, there won't be that many left. Kaidan destroyed quite a few."

As if on cue, Kaidan climbed down from the turret and raised an excellent question. "I think it's safe to assume that the Geth aren't responsible for Peak 15 going offline. Then what is?"

"I have no idea," Shepard answered. "But there's one way we can find out."

Once they all had their helmets on securely, Shepard opened the side door and a strong wind forced a lot of snow inside the Mako. She was suddenly very glad that the hardsuits helped to protect them from the cold. Snow and ice were not her thing; she preferred more tropical planets. She clambered out first, followed by Sid, Liara and finally Kaidan. The doors opened automatically at their approach and led them into Peak 15's Garage, which also just happened to be swarming with Geth. At least there were a lot of crates to hide behind. The Geth spotted them almost immediately and they were forced to seek out cover. It wasn't until a few rockets had been fired that Shepard noticed there was also a few Krogan mercenaries fighting alongside the Geth. This day just got better and better.

The Krogan mercs were content to stay where they were, for the time being, so Shepard focused on defeating the huge Geth Juggernaut in front of her. It was definitely the biggest threat, in her opinion. Kaidan managed to destroy a nearby Geth drone that was hanging around and Liara was using her biotics to wear down the Geth's shields. Shepard threw a grenade at the Juggernaut, which also destroyed a nearby Geth, and then continued to fire at it with her assault rifle. Only when the Juggernaut collapsed to the floor did Shepard realise she had no idea where Sid was. She could only see Kaidan and Liara, which was odd. When they noticed her confusion, they also glanced around and realised Sid was nowhere to be seen.

There was a sudden explosion on the other side of the room, where the Krogan were, and Shepard, Kaidan and Liara's attention immediately focused there. The Krogan had been taken by surprise and their shields were down. This wasn't a moment for confusion, not when they had the upper hand, so Shepard started to shoot at one of the Krogan. Liara and Kaidan followed her lead. They managed to kill one of the mercs but then the other one started to charge at them. Kaidan sent a Warp at him and Liara followed this with a singularity. Shepard continued to fire her assault rifle at the Krogan. It took a few moments for her to notice that there was another pistol being fired. The Krogan was killed just before he reached them and Shepard looked up to find Sid standing nearby as if she had never left.

"Where did you go?" Shepard asked.

"When?" Sid asked in confusion.

"A few moments ago," Shepard answered, equally confused. Did she imagine Sid had disappeared?

Sid smirked, obviously messing with Shepard's mind. "I decided to pay our mercenary friends a visit."

Shepard frowned. "But we would have seen you."

"I still have a few tricks up my sleeve," Sid answered smoothly.

"And the explosion?" Kaidan asked.

"When they were distracted by your attacks, I may have…picked their pockets, so to speak, and armed one of their grenades," she answered.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "I don't know whether to be impressed or annoyed."

"That happens a lot," Sid replied.

Shepard shook her head. "Let's get a move on. The sooner we find the Matriarch, the better."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Fighting through the facilities of Peak 15 had certainly proved to be a…unique experience. Why couldn't these scientists have discovered a long lost race of peaceful bunnies that pooped rainbows or something? Why did it have to be a race of homicidal, insane and – most importantly – huge bugs that had previously brought the galaxy on the verge of destruction? Sid might be a wanted fugitive and fearless smuggler that laughed in the face of danger and then insulted its mother…but giant bugs were just not her thing. Jo had laughed at her when Sid had a mild panic attack when the Rachni had attacked them. She had referred to it as an "irrational fear". Sid disagreed. It was a perfectly rational fear, thank _you_ very much. Bugs were supposed to be small so you could flick them away or casually step on. They weren't supposed to be as big as a mother-freaking dog when they were babies! Their bloodlust was unnerving. At least they hadn't come across the mother…yet.

And speaking of mothers…the squad now stood in front of a door that would lead them into the last room where they all guessed Matriarch Benezia was waiting within. Liara had been doing a good job of putting on a brave face so far. Jo had ordered them to hold their position in the corridor for a few minutes so they could do various checks: make sure all of their weapons were still working fine; ensure their shields and armour were operating perfectly; Kaidan did a quick check to make sure no one had any injuries and Sid also checked her devices to make sure she knew which were still recharging. At the moment, they were all ready and she nodded to Jo to pass the message along.

"We may have some idea of what we're facing inside but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful," Jo said in a soft voice. "We know Matriarch Benezia is inside, along with some Asari Commandoes. It's reasonable to expect Geth as well. We don't know the layout of the room either so we're pairing up. Liara, you'll come with me. Kaidan, you're with Sid. Watch each other's backs and stay together, no matter what. We clear?"

"Aye, aye, Commander."

At first, Sid was confused by Jo's choice of partners. Pretty much everyone knew that she preferred to have Kaidan watch her back on pretty much every mission. She trusted him without a doubt and they worked well as a team so why choose the young, inexperienced Asari who was about to fight her mother? At first, Sid thought it might be because Jo didn't trust her entirely and then she realised, it had nothing to do with her. This was for Liara's benefit. If Liara froze during the middle of the fight or realised she couldn't hurt her own mother then Jo had enough combat experience to deal with the situation. She was also better equipped and she would only have to worry about one person and not two.

Once everyone was confident that their gear checked out, Jo prepared her assault rifle and approached the door. Liara followed closely with her pistol drawn. Sid took out her own pistol and trailed after them, aware that Kaidan was also following her quite closely. This way, if the biotics needed to throw up a Barrier, their partners wouldn't be too far away and it could easily protect them both. The door opened at their approach and revealed a large square room. In the centre was a large, tank-like object and Sid refused to look inside it. Walkways lined the tank but none actually connected with it. Instead, there was a raised platform with the controls and monitoring systems connected to the tank. There were also a lot of crates spread throughout the room.

At the top of the platform was a tall Asari who was looking down her nose at the squad assembled before her. Aside from the odd choice in headwear, Sid didn't think she looked any different from other Asari she had crossed paths with – even the disdainful look seemed pretty standard. Liara tensed suddenly and Sid decided that this Asari was, in fact, Matriarch Benezia. As they approached, Benezia turned her attention to the tank and when the squad reached the foot of the stairs, she started to speak in a deep voice.

"You do not know the privilege of being a mother," she stated, much to Sid's confusion. Where was she going with this and how could she be so sure? "There is power in creation. To shape a life. Turn it towards happiness or despair."

Sid frowned as she thought about the words and also noticed that Liara was trembling – whether out of fear or anger, she couldn't tell. Were these words directed at her daughter and how easily Liara's life was filled with despair because of her mother's decisions or were they about the Rachni…somehow or perhaps her reasoning behind joining Saren?

"Her children were to be ours," Benezia continued, her attention focused on the tank which presumably kept the Rachni Queen. "Raised to hunt and slay Saren's enemies." She paused again and walked towards the stairs, stopping at the edge of the top stair. "I will not be moved by sympathy, no matter who you bring into this confrontation." Her cold and emotionless eyes focused on Liara and there was something unsettling about that gaze.

Jo took a step forward. "This was Liara's choice. She is here because she wants to be, not because anyone asked her to come."

Benezia had not expected that answer. "Indeed? What have you told her about me, Liara?"

It seemed like an odd question, given the current circumstances and Sid had a thousand smartass answers lined up ("That you're crazy" or "You're a real barrel of fun" or even "You're taller than I expected") but she held her tongue with some effort. This was neither the time nor the place for some comments which would likely offend Liara and she didn't need another powerful Asari on the list of people who wanted her dead. Instead, Sid watched as Liara took a step forward and pretty much stared down her mother. She had quite a lot of courage to stand up to Matriarch Benezia like that.

"What could I say, Mother?" Liara demanded in anguish. "That you're insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? What should I say?"

Liara's words did not affect Benezia in the slightest which was definitely odd. A mother would always react to her child's desperate pleas in some way or show some emotion. Benezia was just…empty. Rather than reply to her daughter, she turned her eyes back to Jo and raised a hand to stroke her chin thoughtfully as though she hadn't been talking to her daughter at all.

"Have you faced an Asari Commando unit before?" Benezia asked calmly. "Few humans have."

Sid had a bad feeling about this and her hand drifted to her pistol unconsciously. A question like that had no answer; it would only lead to trouble and was meant to be more of a threat than an actual question. And it was strange to see a mother so ready to condemn her daughter to a painful death. Once again, there was no emotion which just wasn't right. Even during their worst fights, Sid could always see anger, pain or hurt in her mother's eyes. Some sort of raw emotion that made them human. This just didn't feel right.

Jo refused to give up and decided to give Benezia one last chance, probably for Liara's sake. "It doesn't have to be this way, Benezia. We don't have to fight. We can return to the Citadel together and you can help us stop Saren."

"I think not. _No one_ can stop Saren."

Sid instinctively tightened her grip around her gun and was prepared to draw but before she could do anything, Benezia glowed blue and Sid suddenly couldn't move. The attack had come far too fast for any of them to properly react and now they were in stasis. Fantastic. To make matters worse, a couple of Commandoes came running in. This day just kept getting better and better. Sid started to wriggle…or get as close to it as possible to try to weaken the stasis and then maybe she could stand a chance against the Commandoes. This was apparently done in vain because, at the same time, the stasis wore off all of them. So much for being proactive.

Benezia had returned to her position on the platform, apparently content to watch the fight unfold, and there were two Commandoes at the top of the stairs. There were another two in the corner to their right and presumably a few more spread around the room. Kaidan and Sid immediately ducked behind some crates that were at the foot of the stairs while Liara and Jo took cover so they could fire into the corner. The first few moments were chaos and biotic attacks were sent in all directions. Sid was pretty glad she had Kaidan with her because his Barriers were really powerful and absorbed any attacks that came in their direction.

For her part, Sid would fire her pistol at the Commandoes and used her omni-tool to Overload their shields on a few occasions. It wasn't her favourite attack and seemed relatively weak but they might need her devices for the Matriarch and there was no way Sid was going to try to get closer to the Commandoes. Their training was too advanced that a close quarters attack would be more harmful than beneficial so she was reduced to using slightly ineffective – in her opinion – attacks from a distance. She wasn't paying attention to how Jo and Liara were faring. Unless there were panicked cries from their direction, Sid's focus would remain entirely on her targets.

Killing these Commandoes was definitely easier said than done. They had a lot of experience working as a team and would often provide cover fire if their defences were left wide open which made shooting at them a difficult concept. At least Sid didn't have to worry about being biotically Thrown across the room. While hiding behind cover, she glanced to the side and noticed Jo and Liara didn't seem to be having much luck either. They needed an edge or a distraction of some sort…Sid brought up her omni-tool and started to scan the Commandoes to see if they used omni-tools. It wasn't unusual as many people used them for convenience and personal reasons, not just for battle.

At least one Commando that was attacking Kaidan and Sid had her omni-tool with her and for someone with such advanced combat training, she had amateur level encryption. Sid easily broke through and did some quick typing. This definitely required some creativity. She started to send large volumes of meaningless data to the Asari's omni-tool and, after a few seconds, it had the desired effect. The omni-tool couldn't take the continuous stream of data being sent towards it and it started to overload. Sparks erupted from the device and the Asari started to panic. The Commando hadn't expected her own omni-tool to turn against her. The panic also distracted her partner.

Sid shared a look with Kaidan and they both peered around the crates they were using for cover. The Commandoes were so distracted that they didn't notice until Sid and Kaidan's attacks breached their shields. By that point, it was too late and they now had two less Commandoes to worry about. Sid wasn't naïve enough to believe that they had an advantage now. As evidenced with the Cerberus Commandoes, these Asari Commandoes quickly reacted and made sure there wasn't a gap in their defences. Two more Commandoes rushed forward to replace their fallen comrades, even as Jo managed to kill one of her own.

Apparently, Benezia was starting to get impatient because she ordered the remaining Commandoes in the room to attack. Jo and Liara had three Commandoes to deal with at once while Kaidan and Sid had just the two. Jo apparently felt the same way because she pulled out a grenade and threw it at the Commandoes which caused quite the explosion. Sid assumed it had killed all three because Jo and Liara soon joined her in fighting the last two Commandoes. Even though the Commandoes were outnumbered, they lasted longer than Sid would have first guessed but, eventually, they too were defeated.

Just as they managed to kill the Commandoes, Benezia used her biotics to put them all in Stasis once again. That wasn't playing fair and it was annoying. Sid felt if anyone was going to fight dirty, it should be her, not that Jo would approve. Another four Commandoes rushed in which meant Sid had miscounted. Two started to fire at Kaidan and Sid and the other two focused their attention on Jo and Liara. Their numbers were supplemented by a few Geth as well. They obviously didn't have the same training as the Commandoes so there were a lot of them to make up for it.

Sid didn't mind. The Geth, even in far superior numbers, were quite easy to handle, especially considering the Commandoes only protected each other and not their synthetic allies. Sid decided that the easiest way to deal with the situation was to destroy the Geth first and worry about the Commandoes second. It seemed to work well because Jo's approach was the complete opposite: focus on the Commandoes and ignore the Geth. Sid also wasn't too good at communication so even though she was fighting the Geth, Kaidan's focus was still on the Commandoes.

When there was a brief break in combat, Sid risked a glance towards Benezia to make sure she wasn't about to put them all in stasis once again. Much to her surprise, Benezia was not watching the fight as she had done before. Rather, she was swaying slightly as though exhausted and her eyes were closed. Her right hand was pressed against her forehead. Sid didn't have much time to ponder this as a Geth started to shoot at her. Her shields absorbed the first few rounds before Kaidan pulled her back behind their crate. He gave her a confused look that she didn't notice and she promptly returned fire.

The number of Geth had decreased dramatically and Jo had managed to kill one of the Commandoes. While Sid continued to fire at a Geth sniper on the far side of the room, Jo carefully took out another grenade and tossed it to Kaidan. Kaidan activated it and then threw it towards the Commandoes that had them pinned down. He and Sid huddled behind their crate and Jo detonated the explosive. This way, the Commandoes didn't have a chance to escape the blast and were killed. Sid quickly rolled from her crate to the crate that Liara was hiding behind to gain a new perspective and opened fire at the last few remaining Geth.

"Sid, I need your Shield Disruptor," Jo ordered.

Sid raised an eyebrow. "It'll take a while to recharge."

"I know," Jo replied impatiently.

Sid decided it was best not to argue and reached into her pouch as she quickly shuffled past Liara until she was behind Jo. She activated the small device and then slid it across the floor. Jo waited until the shields blew and then fired a single shot right between the eyes of the final Commando. She must have been getting impatient. Sid then prepared herself for stasis…only nothing happened. That was weird. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who was confused and Jo, crouched low to the floor, slowly approached Benezia with Liara close behind. Kaidan and Sid walked behind them with their guns at the ready and ascended the stairs slowly.

Sid decided to hang back and stopped walking once she reached the top of the stairs. Jo, Liara and Kaidan continued to approach, even as Benezia started to mutter threateningly about Saren being unstoppable and how she would not betray him. Sid chose to make it look as though she was watching the doors to make sure they weren't ambushed. The truth was situations that involved parents – mothers, specifically – made her uncomfortable. These situations happened rarely and when they did, she would prefer to let other people handle them. Jo was that person, in this instance. Sid waited a few moments to make sure that Benezia didn't have a gun or weapon on her before descending a few stairs until she was a comfortable distance away while still able to keep eye contact should the situation turn deadly.

It seemed to be the usual back and forth of an interrogation until Benezia faltered and her words started to become disjointed. This behaviour was odd and completely unexpected so Sid definitely started to pay close attention. It was as if Benezia was fighting against herself. If this was true, it certainly explained quite a few things such as her behaviour during combat and how she could so easily turn against her own daughter. Perhaps Saren had brainwashed her or done something along those lines and Liara's presence was enough to convince Benezia's motherly instincts to fight against it. Benezia really loved her daughter and had all along. Sid forced herself to look away again.

* * *

><p>Shepard watched helplessly as Liara cradled her mother's lifeless body and tears streamed down her cheeks. She had hoped that they could find some way to avoid killing Benezia but in the end, there was no other option. Plans seemed to have been going wrong ever since they had entered the Peak 15 Facility. Until now, Shepard could handle it. This, however, was a bit too familiar for her. Perhaps it was not a good idea to have brought Liara. It had been Shepard's assault rifle that delivered the shot that killed Benezia and she would be lucky if Liara didn't blame her for it. She wanted to offer the young Asari some comforting words but it was too soon and perhaps it wasn't her place to do so.<p>

She looked around the room. Kaidan was standing nearby at a respectable distance and was looking at everything except Liara. Sid was sitting on the top stair with her back towards the others. She had been surprisingly quiet since they had entered that room and Shepard figured it had to do with the presence of large bugs, including the Rachni Queen that was housed in the tank a few steps ahead. At least Liara knew that her mother didn't die hating her and perhaps, with time, that would be enough. Knowing there wasn't much else Shepard could do and trying to find a way to give Liara the time she needed to say goodbye, she slowly approached the tank and curiously looked in.

The tank was built to cage something and not as a viewing window therefore the reinforced glass was thick. Shepard had to squint and leaned her forehead against the cold surface in the hopes that she might see something, something that could help them and maybe provide a clue as to what Saren was searching for beyond the Mu Relay…not that the Rachni could possibly know the answer to that question, especially if Matriarch Benezia had no clue. And even if she did, how would she communicate? Shepard wasn't exactly fluent in Bug Speak. Judging from the dark shape within the tank, the Rachni Queen was huge. If she got out of the tank and was hostile, they probably wouldn't stand a chance…

The Rachni Queen suddenly lunged at the side of the tank and snarled, giving Shepard quite a fright. Sid's fear of giant bugs suddenly didn't seem so crazy anymore. Shepard stumbled backwards and collided with someone. At first, she thought it might have been Kaidan and she turned around…only to be faced by one of the Asari Commandoes. Instinctively, she drew her pistol and pointed it straight at the Commando. The Commando continued to stagger forward until she was at the edge of the tank and then slowly turned to face Shepard. This was starting to get creepy. The others had noticed the strange sounds and had rushed forward with their own guns drawn and stood behind her, even Liara.

"This one. Serves as our voice. We cannot sing. Not in these low spaces. Your musics are colourless."

Even though the words came from the Commando's mouth, they were not her words and it was not her voice. The words were spoken as if they were unfamiliar and had never been spoken before, or at least in this language. The voice was much deeper and it felt as though it belonged to an entity that was far older than any Asari, even though the Rachni Queen wasn't that much older. The memories that had once belonged to the Queen's mother must have aged her.

"Please tell me I'm not the only one seeing this?" Sid asked in confusion and…was that a hint of panic? A giant talking bug must be like a nightmare coming true for her.

"I'm seeing this too," Kaidan answered although he sounded just as confused as Sid.

Shepard ignored them both and holstered her gun, her attention fixed on the Rachni Queen and the Commando. "I don't understand what you mean. Musics?"

The Commando shuddered before she spoke again. "Your way of communicating is strange. Flat. It does not colour the air. When we speak, one moves all."

"Well, that clears everything up," Sid muttered sarcastically.

The Rachni continued to speak through the Asari as though Sid had said nothing. "We are the mother. We sing for those left behind. The children you thought silenced. We are Rachni. The children we birthed were stolen from us before they could learn to sing. They are lost to silence. End their suffering. They cannot be saved. They will only cause harm as they are."

It was strange that the Rachni just gave her permission for them to kill her children, not that Shepard really needed her permission to do so. Then again, this whole conversation wasn't exactly normal.

The Rachni continued. "Before you deal with our children, we stand before you. What will you sing? Will you release us? Are we to fade away once more?"

"Commander, there's some old grudges in the galaxy. Grudges humans should stay out of. If we kill her, we kill the entire race," Kaidan argued.

"They made a mistake. They let the Krogan go too far. This is a chance for us to atone. She has done nothing to us," Liara added in a slightly husky voice from crying.

Sid remained quiet although her eyes did hover over the acid tanks above the Rachni Queen. She obviously disagreed with saving the Rachni but, for whatever reason, decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Shepard remained quiet for a few moments as she pondered the situation. Either choice could have drastic consequences and not just for herself. This decision would affect the entire galaxy for years to come. On the one hand, the Rachni had nearly destroyed the entire galaxy before and only with the help of the Krogan were they defeated. On the other hand, Shepard couldn't bring herself to condemn an entire species for mistakes that were made thousands of years ago.

"Your companions hear the truth. You have the power to free us or return our people to the silence of memory," the Rachni Queen stated.

"If I decide to let you live, will you attack the galaxy again?" Shepard asked thoughtfully.

The Asari's head shuddered, as if she was shaking it. "No. I do not know what happened in the war. We only heard discordance, songs the colour of oily shadows. We would seek a hidden place to teach our children harmony. If they understand, perhaps we would return."

Shepard descended into silent thought once again. Was it possible that the Rachni had been forced into the war? Maybe…No, it was unlikely. This Queen was different. Everyone deserved a second chance…didn't they? If not for second chances, Sid wouldn't be a part of her crew. Neither would Wrex or Garrus. Humanity wouldn't have a Spectre now either. This Queen also seemed sincere in finding an isolated place…well, as sincere as one could get when talking through a dead Asari.

Shepard sighed in defeat. "I will not be the reason for the extinction of an entire race. The Rachni deserve a second chance. You'll go free."

"You will give us the chance to compose anew?" the Queen asked in hopeful disbelief. "We will remember. We will sing of your forgiveness to our children."

Shepard approached the console and managed to find the controls to release the Rachni. The tank was lifted above to an adjoining tunnel and the Queen scuttled out, disappearing from view. The Commando collapsed to the floor, lifeless. Despite the criticisms she was likely to receive, this felt like the right decision.

"The Council is just going to _love_ this," Sid remarked dryly, still keeping a fair distance away even though the tank was now empty.

Shepard shrugged. "I'll deal with them later. We still have to get out of here."

She led the way towards the Hot Labs with Liara, Kaidan and Sid trailing behind. They needed to find a way to kill the remaining Rachni and secure Peak 15. Liara seemed to be holding up well, for the time being. Perhaps she was focusing on the task at hand and not dwelling on her mother's death. Regardless, they made good time and soon found a random scientist sitting in the middle of a large room just as they disembarked from the elevator. Shepard suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

"Are you here to secure the station?" the scientist asked in an accented voice. If Shepard had to guess, she would probably say he was Russian.

"You could say that," Shepard answered simply.

"You must listen to me," he replied urgently. "If we do not contain our mistake, they will drop bombs from the battlestations. Do you understand?"

"I see exploding everything is still Plan B," Sid muttered under her breath.

The scientist shot her look before looking back at Shepard. "These Rachni are beyond saving. It is a sad thing but they must be euthanized. I am thinking that the neutron purge must be set off."

"I'm not familiar with a neutron purge," Shepard admitted.

"It's basically a big explosion that'll kill everything and destroy any genetic material at the same time," Sid explained and then shrugged when everyone looked at her in surprise. "What? I didn't say I disagreed with Plan B."

"All right," Shepard said slowly. "How do we activate this neuron purge?"

The scientist started to explain when a Rachni's tentacle tail thing went straight through his chest and killed him instantly. A long list of curse words started to flow from Sid's mouth in between each shot of her gun, somehow managing to kill it before the others had even drawn their guns. Shepard looked at Sid curiously.

"I. Really. Hate. Bugs," Sid explained irritably and shot the dead Rachni one final time, just to make sure.

"Kaidan, see if you can get the purge codes from the scientist," Shepard ordered as Kaidan was the closest.

He obeyed without a word and managed to find the OSD after a few moments. "Got it, Commander."

Shepard nodded once and they went through the door that would lead them to MIRA. Shepard ordered Kaidan to initiate the neuron purge while she and Sid stood guard by the door. They had no idea what to expect next, other than a large number of Rachni.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Sid hissed in a whisper.

Shepard froze and listened intently. There was a lot of scratching and strange noises that likely belonged to the Rachni. If this was the case then there were a lot of the bugs waiting for them outside. Sid arrived at the same conclusion and visibly paled.

"When we run out of here, shoot whatever is in the way and keep running. Don't stop until we reach the elevator," Shepard ordered.

_::Verified. Code Omega execution in 120 seconds.::_

Fantastic. They had two minutes to sprint across a room filled with homicidal bugs. They all exchanged a look and nodded. Shepard opened the door and started to fire her assault rifle at the Rachni that had gathered outside. Her aim wasn't to kill every single one of them but she needed to clear a path. Kaidan and Liara used their biotics to fling Rachni left and right and Sid continued to fire her pistol. Eventually, they made it to the elevator. Luckily, they managed to get there just in time. Shepard leant against the side of the elevator, trying to catch her breath.

"I am _never_ coming to Noveria _ever_ again," Sid said from the floor.

The small group had to laugh, more out of relief than amusement. Somehow, they had managed to survive a science facility overrun by bloodthirsty Rachni. And they were now one step closer to stopping Saren even if they had no idea why he was looking for the Mu Relay. Shepard couldn't wait to get back to the _Normandy_. She seriously needed a shower.


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you for your patience, reviews, favourites and alerts. I have not given up on this story and I am incredibly excited to write Sid into the storylines of **_**Mass Effect 2**_** and **_**Mass Effect 3**_** and because these are still a long way off, be assured that I will not be giving up on this. Ever. Even if I go a while without posting. I will still be working on this whenever possible.**

**Chapter 16**

The _Normandy_'s Mess Hall was unusually quiet. It wasn't exactly empty though. The members of the crew who were either on break or just killing time must have been spending some time rethinking their opinions, or so Sid guessed. Everyone had been suspicious of Liara because of Matriarch Benezia's part in Saren's scheme. Many of them had thought up ridiculous theories of what they expected would happen when Liara and Benezia finally had their confrontation. While there were various theories, the most popular was that Liara would betray Jo and join sides with her mother. Everyone had agreed that Liara was a traitor and so, the popularity of this theory was unsurprising.

The fact that Benezia had been brainwashed into helping Saren on his mad quest for galaxy domination and Liara helped Jo to kill her own mother without hesitation had never once been considered. If the crew first believed that perhaps it had been an elaborate ploy to fake the Matriarch's death, this idea was smashed to smithereens the moment Liara returned to the _Normandy_, barely keeping herself together and then after the Post Mission Briefing. She had returned to her temporary lab in the Medical Bay and Dr Chakwas had mentioned she could hear Liara crying from the other side of the door. It definitely was not the behaviour of a hardened assassin. So the crew was spending some time dealing with their guilt and perhaps reassessing their stance on aliens…or, at least, the current non-Human members of the crew.

While Sid had not entirely trusted Liara either, she was not wasting her time on such trivial matters. Her inability to trust someone – no matter who – was a part of her and one that would not change because of recent events. The guilt that the crew members felt for not trusting Liara was just a waste of time, in her opinion. Rather, she was trying to find Saren. It hadn't been long since they had left Noveria and Jo had ordered Joker to head towards the Argos Rho Cluster, presumably to do some more assignments for the Alliance.

How the Alliance ever got anything done before the legendary Commander Shepard enlisted mystified Sid. Either they really depended on Jo to get a lot of work done or the Alliance did more things that most of the galaxy realised and Jo was only handling the assignments that were left over. At the moment though, Jo had taken Chief Williams to help Wrex retrieve his family's armour on the planet of Tuntau in the Phoenix Cluster.

Sid was sitting at one of the tables with her back towards the stairs and a cup of coffee was sitting on the table just in front of her. Coffee wasn't usually her choice of drink but the caffeine helped to keep her awake while she scanned through some of the more boring information for the third time. She frowned at the information on her omni-tool and then glanced at the surface of the table as she tried to piece things together. It took her a few moments to realise that Kaidan, Garrus and Tali had joined her. Kaidan had his own cup of coffee while Garrus and Tali had whatever the dextro equivalent was which did not look at all appetizing.

"Any news on Liara?" Garrus asked carefully.

After Sid's true role of information gatherer had been revealed, she had been the "go to" person for accurate information. Joker, however, was still the "go to" person for scuttlebutt and information that _probably_ wasn't true. Even despite Joker's questionable authenticity, the crew still preferred to ask him for information rather than Sid although a few of the more curious or braver people had approached her on a handful of occasions. Most of this information had been child's play which meant the crew was probably testing her loyalty and accuracy.

Sid shrugged in response. "She's doing as well as can be expected. Jo tried to talk to her but I don't know how well that went. Dr Chakwas is keeping an eye on her."

"And the Commander?" Kaidan asked softly, so the other crew members wouldn't hear and suspect there was something wrong with the invincible Commander Shepard.

Sid didn't answer immediately. "That's a bit harder to answer. Jo isn't exactly an open book but I think she's starting to struggle. The Alliance and the Council are still putting so much pressure on her shoulders and she's getting little cooperation from the Council in tracking down Saren, especially now. We've run out of leads and Saren's one step closer to achieving his goal…whatever that may be. And most people aren't taking her seriously, despite everything she's already accomplished."

"We believe her," Tali argued defensively.

Sid smiled. "That we do."

She returned her attention to the information displayed on her omni-tool's screen and her frown resurfaced, even as the others started a new conversation…something about the Mako? Nevertheless, she wasn't paying attention until Kaidan said her name.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

Sid sighed. "I don't know. Maybe?"

"Can we help?" Garrus offered.

Perhaps another perspective could help, especially the perspective of a former C-Sec investigator. "I've been going over all the information we have on Saren since Jo's report and Captain Anderson's orders started the investigation into Saren after the events of Eden Prime, hoping that maybe there was some information that didn't make sense at the time or was overlooked; something that could point towards where Saren might be hiding out or maybe where he plans on going soon. Anything that could help, really. I even called in a few favours that finally came through to get the C-Sec files and a handful of the Council files that weren't as secure."

"And?" Kaidan pressed, completely ignoring her confession of breaking a few laws.

"And…I have nothing," Sid admitted in defeat. "Although there is something that doesn't quite add up…in my mind. Other than Eden Prime, the only confirmed location we have of Saren is Feros. He did appear during the hearing before Jo had the evidence but he wasn't on the Citadel physically so we have no idea of where he actually was and even then, only the Thorian actually saw him. By the time we got there, only the Geth and a pissed off homicidal plant remained. So where is he? Saren isn't exactly a master of stealth lately and Jo's mission has placed unwanted attention on him but not even my contacts have heard rumours of where he could possibly be."

There was silence as they considered this. It made Sid feel better that she wasn't the only one struggling to make sense of this.

"He must have a base somewhere," Garrus decided. "One the Council knows nothing about and most likely set up when he decided to go rogue. You don't decide to do something like that overnight."

"That is…" Sid started sceptically and then thought about it. "…brilliant. But how do we find it?"

She was overcomplicating the whole situation and had been looking for signs of a conspiracy or something huge when the lack of sightings should have been the answer. How could she forget Occam's razor: the simplest explanation is usually the best explanation?

"Track his finances?" Kaidan suggested.

While it was a good suggestion, Sid shook her head. "I can't. He used Barla Von as his personal accountant."

"The Volus on the Presidium?" Tali asked in confusion.

"Yeah," Sid replied. "He's a financial genius. C-Sec has had no luck in making a case against him because, technically, he doesn't do anything illegal so they have absolutely no access to his accounts or information on what he actually does with the money."

"Can't you just hack in?" Kaidan asked with a frown of his own.

"He's an agent for the Shadow Broker. If I hack in, I may as well paint a giant target onto my forehead and throw a 'come and get me' party."

"I thought he only sold information to the Broker and didn't actually work for him," Garrus responded.

"Von is one of his best sources so there is a pretty good chance that he'll be well protected and I can't afford to take the risk," Sid explained. "Jo isn't exactly the Broker's favourite person at the moment either and if I'm right, attracting the Broker's attention now could jeopardise the entire mission."

"What about Sovereign?" Tali suggested quietly.

Kaidan, Garrus and Sid looked at her in surprise.

"Duh," Sid replied and smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand, much to the aliens' confusion. "I can use C-Sec resources to put out an alert to look out for Sovereign and make it so I'm the first and only person to receive the alert." She was about to start typing away at her omni-tool when she realised she had forgotten something. "Thanks, Tali. I never would have thought of that on my own."

While she concentrated on her task, the others continued with their earlier conversation. It was only once she had finished that Sid realised she had pretty much incriminated herself in a lot of crimes that would result in quite a few years in prison, if she were arrested and convicted. It was unusual for her to let her guard down like that and stranger still that they had made no move to either arrest her or gather evidence against her. Perhaps this was what it meant to have friends? Sid pondered this and risked a glance at the three of them who were clearly enjoying their conversation.

It had been a very long time since she considered anyone a friend – aside from her crew who obviously did not return the feeling - and now that she considered Kaidan, Garrus and Tali – and after a minute, included Jo and Joker in this exclusive club too – she had no idea if this was a good or a bad thing. If anything, friends just gave her enemies more ammunition to use against her or allowed them to betray her, as what had happened in the past. Perhaps she should start to distance herself from them. It would be best for everyone and would likely save their lives in the long run. And, as soon as this mission was completed and the charges against her dropped, Sid planned on disappearing and never seeing any of them again.

For some strange reason, this plan didn't appeal to her as much as before and the thought of leaving Jo again just as they were starting to be sisters again felt…painful. The confusing thing though was the idea of not seeing Joker again made her sad too. When had she developed such an attachment to the arrogant, annoying…funny, talented helmsman? She groaned silently. This was so not a good thing. She couldn't afford to form attachments to anyone, especially not in the middle of a dangerous mission where she could possibly get killed.

It shouldn't matter. Feelings complicated things and emotions clouded judgement, just like what was happening now. This was why she never got close to anyone: it made simple decisions hard. It would be best for everyone if she disappeared at the end of the mission, regardless of how she felt about it. She had dangerous enemies and even more dangerous friends who wouldn't like her affiliation with the Alliance or any authority, for that matter. Even if she did stick around, she was a wanted fugitive and would bring scrutiny onto Jo. With her decision final, Sid finished her cup of coffee and left the Mess Hall without another word. Distance was needed which meant she needed to find a new place to spend her time.

* * *

><p>Shepard was sitting in the Mess Hall in the chair that had apparently been used previously by Sid. By the time she had returned from her mission of retrieving Wrex's armour, her sister had already disappeared. Shepard was still wearing her armour and weapons because it wouldn't take much time for the <em>Normandy <em>to travel to Presrop. It was the moon of the planet Klendagon in the Century system where a somewhat disturbed man, Major Kyle, had set up some sort of base and had amassed a huge biotic following even though he was not a biotic.

The files that Admiral Hackett had sent were brief, just enough to get the job done, but they certainly were not pretty. Major Kyle had been involved in the events on Torfan where many Batarians had been massacred. These events deeply affected the Major and it was guessed that he was suffering from some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder. He now called himself Father Kyle and his biotic followers had already killed two Alliance officers that had been sent to investigate the situation. This assignment required tact and subtlety.

This immediately ruled out Chief Williams and Wrex. They were solid soldiers in a fight but both had a tendency to speak their minds which could just aggravate the already tense situation. Liara was in no condition to hold a simple conversation, let alone a conversation that might or might not result in an all-out gunfight. Sid was also not an option. She had a conflict of interests when it came to Torfan and she felt the Alliance had been in the wrong. Having her around on this added an element of unpredictability that Shepard could not afford.

Kaidan was coming along which was not a surprise for anyone. This left the final spot between Garrus and Tali. Shepard could bring both but having too many people along could spook the biotics. Garrus had made a lot of progress since the incident with Dr Saleon and was less eager for a fight and was spending more time considering alternatives. Tali was also starting to adjust to this life and would likely benefit from seeing diplomacy at work. They both had a calming presence and they didn't let their nerves affect their work. This was how she had arrived at the decision of bringing Kaidan and Tali along for the mission.

Shepard wasn't alone in the Mess Hall. Kaidan, Ash, Garrus and Tali were also sitting at the same table. She guessed Liara was still suffering from the events of Noveria and Wrex was probably examining his father's armour. Either way, they both needed some time to themselves. Sid was another matter entirely. Apparently, she had been in the Mess Hall with Kaidan, Tali and Garrus talking about the mission and attempting to track Sovereign before she left unexpectedly. This was odd considering all of her time was spent in the Mess Hall and Shepard hadn't seen her with Joker when Shepard gave him his new orders or in the Medical Bay when she went to ask Dr Chakwas for an update on Liara. It was probably nothing and Sid was probably sleeping somewhere.

"What exactly happened on Torfan?" Tali asked, apparently preparing herself for her role as a diplomat.

Shepard considered her earlier conversation with Sid before choosing her words very carefully. "After the Skyllian Blitz, the Alliance made a very…controversial decision. Torfan was a base for criminals, mostly Batarians, and the Alliance made the decision to raid the base in retaliation."

"The Alliance suffered heavy losses," Kaidan continued. "But the enemy was annihilated. Even those that had surrendered were killed. Afterwards, the Batarians slowly removed themselves from Citadel space."

"How horrible," Tali said softly. It did sound very similar to the Quarians being chased off of their home planet by the Geth, only on a much smaller scale.

"They deserved it," Ash interjected defensively. "The Skyllian Blitz would have killed hundreds of civilians if the Commander hadn't been there."

"Why isn't Sid going with?" Garrus suddenly asked. "She claims to be non-violent. I expected her to volunteer for a quiet mission."

Shepard shrugged dismissively. "There's…a conflict of interest. Her mentor was on Torfan at the time of the raid and he was killed. She believes that the Alliance's decision was wrong and blames them – us – for his death. Putting her in a room with one of the soldiers who were part of the raid just doesn't seem…wise."

"You said it yourself: Torfan was full of criminals and Batarians," Ash pointed out as though that should have solved everything.

Shepard was silent for a moment, mostly out of annoyance. Ash was extremely stubborn sometimes, especially when it came to aliens. "This particular Batarian saved Sid's life when she was a kid."

Ash had a hard time computing this information. "What?"

Batarians weren't widely regarded as being merciful, especially where humans were concerned. Shepard had a hard time believing it herself but she had seen Sid's face and knew it was the truth so she wasn't surprised by Ash's disbelief.

"If he hadn't stepped in, Sid would have been sold to slavers and it is entirely possible I would have had to talk her down on the Citadel and not Talitha," Shepard argued back, suddenly defensive of her little sister.

"Wait," Kaidan interjected. "Sid's from Mindoir?"

Shepard suddenly realised she had said too much but she couldn't walk away without giving them something. "Yes. We grew up together."

It wasn't a total lie, even so she still felt bad about keeping this from her crew members, especially from Kaidan, but it was important that she do it. She couldn't explain why it was so important to keep her relation to Sid secret…it was just so much easier to leave the lie in place. And to be fair, it was only a lie of omission. It wasn't as though this secret would kill anyone. The crew would probably be hurt or angry. Those emotions could be dealt with, especially if she was able to explain how troubled their relationship was and maybe it would be enough for the crew members to understand.

Before anyone could say something else or ask another question, Joker informed them that they were coming up on the small moon and that they should get ready. Never before had Joker's voice been so welcome. He had impeccable timing. Shepard made her way to the Cargo Hold with Tali and Kaidan so they could get their gear and then they climbed into the Mako, patiently waiting in silence for the Mako to be dropped.

There would definitely be more questions as to why she was suddenly so defensive and why she had never told them that she and Sid had grown up together. It was innocent enough. They would also want to know why she had kept such information to herself. Did she not trust them? The floodgates had just been opened and Shepard now had to come to terms with the consequences of the decisions she made. Hopefully, this mission would buy her some time to think.

* * *

><p>Tali's breathing sounded so loud in her mask. She had been confident of herself while still aboard the <em>Normandy<em> but the situation was a bit worse than she had first realised. Although the situation was peaceful at the moment, there was a lot of potential for things to go horribly wrong. Normally, a situation like this wouldn't be so bad. Shepard's missions were rarely easy and Tali had had the opportunity to learn a lot about herself and how to handle a combat situation. Her handling of a shotgun had definitely improved and she had received a lot of practice where in combat tech attacks were concerned.

Tali was confident she could handle a Geth attack quite well and an attack from criminals or Cerberus would also be all right. Biotics, however, were another matter entirely. There weren't many Biotic Quarians around so Tali had little experience dealing with them. If it was not for Kaidan and Liara, she wouldn't even have an idea of what they were capable of. It certainly was intimidating. At least they were on her side. If only the same could be said for Father Kyle's followers.

Shepard had managed to talk their way into the compound peacefully and they were navigating the corridors towards Father Kyle. His biotic followers had acknowledged their presence by watching them suspiciously. There was no sign of any aggression though there was a lot of hostility. Unconsciously, Tali started to walk closer to Kaidan. She trusted him like a big brother and knew he would look after her, if the worse should come to pass. He briefly glanced in her direction to make sure she was all right and then continued to walk forward.

The corridor eventually led them to a small room where a man was standing. A few of his followers were also present in the room, most likely to make sure nothing happened to Father Kyle. There was a lot about this situation that Tali didn't fully understand, one of which was 'Father'. This man was not the father of these biotics and it mystified her as to why they would regard him as such. It was also confusing, trying to figure out just why they would follow someone with no biotic potential. It just didn't make sense so Tali just chalked it up to human nature. There was still much she needed to learn about the galaxy and she was glad she had chosen to remain with Commander Shepard because she was learning so much.

Like how to be diplomatic, for one. It was reassuring to know that not every assignment would involve shooting other people. While a lot of the people they faced opened fire first, Tali hoped that not every moment spent chasing Saren down would involve bullets. She was also glad to know that Shepard was willing to take the time to attempt a diplomatic route, even when others had already failed. As they entered the room, Shepard looked around suspiciously and then focused her gaze on the man in front of them. He had dark skin and black hair. He wore simple clothes, not something Tali had expected an ex-Alliance Officer to wear.

"I am Major Kyle," the man started carefully. "I know why you have come. We have no quarrel with you. Why can't you just leave us alone?"

Shepard was tense but she did not go for her gun. "The Alliance sent someone a few days ago," she replied in a voice of calm and free of accusation. "Where are they? What happened to them?"

"They wanted to take me away from here!" Father Kyle answered defensively. "They wanted me to abandon this place. Turn my back on my family! They spoke blasphemy!"

Tali glanced towards the other biotics in the room and noticed they had picked up on Father Kyle's distress. If Shepard didn't calm him down, they would attack. Tali prepared herself to reach for her shotgun, just in case, even though she knew that Shepard had the situation under control.

"I did what I could to make their end quick and painless," Father Kyle continued in a detached voice. "I had no other choice. It was necessary to protect my children. Only I can keep them safe."

Tali frowned in confusion. 'His children'? Perhaps he had come to care for them as his own, just as Auntie Raan regarded her as a daughter. Even so, this was a very strange situation.

Shepard took a moment to choose her words very carefully. "I was sent to bring you in, Major. The Alliance expects someone to pay for those deaths. By killing them, you placed everyone's lives in danger. No one is safe."

"I respect that you have come under a banner of peace," Father Kyle replied, as though he hadn't heard her words. "But I cannot do as you ask. If you take away their father, my children will be helpless."

Biotics, while treated unfairly in some cases, were hardly helpless. They had a lot of power at their control whereas Quarians were always treated as second class citizens. This annoyed Tali slightly but she knew she couldn't voice it. Too much was at stake and she refused to be responsible for a mission taking a grim turn.

"You ordered your followers to kill those Alliance Investigators," Shepard argued evenly. There was no threat in her voice but it also let them know she wasn't planning on standing down. "You must face the consequences of your actions. Do you really want your children to suffer for your sins too?"

Her words were harsh and Tali expected a violent reaction. Kaidan must have felt likewise because he also tensed slightly.

"No!" Father Kyle choked out in panic. "This…this was my fault. My children are innocent. Pure. Please…I never meant for this to happen. I'm…I'm sorry."

"I understand this is a difficult decision," Shepard stated gently. "But you are doing the right thing. Your children will be better off because of you. We should go."

Father Kyle remained silent for a moment and focused on the floor, unable to meet Shepard's eyes. Tali couldn't wait to get back to the _Normandy_ so she was relieved that Father Kyle had agreed to come along.

"Wait," he suddenly said and looked up again. "If my children see you taking me away, they won't understand. They will attack and you will be forced to kill them all. You have shown me the error of my ways, Commander. Now you must give me time to explain it to them. It is the only way they will understand. Please, give me one hour. After that, I will meet the Alliance authorities at the gates of my compound and surrender without violence. I give you my word."

Tali could understand this request. It would save their lives and prevent Shepard from killing these people. It would be a peaceful resolution to a tense situation. But there was also a possibility that Father Kyle might be lying and he would refuse to surrender when his hour was up. Tali didn't think this man was capable of lying, though.

"All right," Shepard decided with a heavy sigh. "You'll have your one hour. I'm choosing to trust you. If you decide to go back on your word, you and your children will suffer for it. This isn't a threat, it's a fact."

"I will not betray you, Commander," Father Kyle reassured. "Thank you for this."

"One hour," Shepard reminded firmly and then turned to leave.

Tali had never been so happy to see the Mako before when they returned to the surface and exited the compound. It had been uncomfortable to be there but she understood why Shepard had brought her along. She had paid attention and noted how the Commander had remained honest yet firm in her dealings with Father Kyle. She had also decided to go along with his belief that the biotics were his children. Even though she was glad to learn something from it, she couldn't help feeling relieved that it was all over.

"Joker can have the Fifth Fleet pick Major Kyle up," Kaidan said as they approached the Mako. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Commander."

Shepard nodded her head once in agreement. "Father Kyle won't put his 'children' in danger. I'm confident he'll keep his side of the bargain."

Tali also noted Shepard's confidence. Hopefully, she could feel this confident soon. Once they were all inside the Mako once again, Shepard radioed for pickup and ordered to Joker to send a message to the Fifth Fleet. There was a lot to think about.


	17. Chapter 17

**Here's another update for you lovely readers. It's still a bit shorter than the previous chapters – not by much but still – though I hope the quality is the same.**

**Thank you all for the reviews, favourites and alerts. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.**

**Chapter 17**

Shepard was sitting in her quarters, staring blankly at the computer terminal in front of her. It was proving near impossible to find any information on Saren and actually impossible to find information that she didn't already know. Such as his current location or where he could possibly be hiding out. This Turian was a sneaky bastard and Shepard was starting to see why he was known as one of the best Spectres. He was good at covering his tracks and disappearing although Sid seemed to have a different opinion on the matter. Not only did she have a low opinion of the Alliance but Spectres too. Yet she defended the Batarians. Shepard just couldn't figure her sister out.

Speaking of Sid…there was something weird going on there too. She had pretty much disappeared – where she was hiding on the _Normandy_, Shepard had no idea – and only ever appeared during meal times or when there was something important going on that required her input. When she spoke, she used short sentences or provided one word answers whenever possible. There were minimal jokes and even less laughter. Strangely enough, the rest of the crew had also been affected and their moods had been much darker recently. At least Shepard had misjudged her ground squad. They had not yet asked her any questions about why she had kept her past with Sid a secret although Shepard could see the questioning looks when she walked past them. It was unnerving and she did not like the feelings of mistrust or doubt directed at her.

Shepard groaned and put her forehead on her desk. There was just far too much going on. The search for Saren had hit a dead end and there was nowhere else to look. It also appeared as though he no longer had any allies, now that Matriarch Benezia was dead. The Geth didn't count because they were more followers than co-conspirators. Then the Council was proving to be beyond useless and infuriating. There was no help, no information and no gratitude coming from them. If they did one thing, it was adding to the pressure that was already resting on her shoulders. Then there was the Prothean Cipher. It was still screwing with Shepard's brain and made it nearly impossible to get a few decent hours of sleep. The vision still made no sense and it was really annoying. There just wasn't room to worry about Sid too so she pushed that aside for the time being.

_::Commander, there's an incoming message from the Fifth Fleet.::_

Shepard groaned and lifted her head just enough so she could answer Joker. "Did Admiral Hackett say what it's about?"

_::Sorry, Commander. He did say it's important though.::_

Was that amusement in his voice?

Shepard sighed and straightened in her chair. "Patch it through, Joker."

_::I've received some information that I thought you'd want to see, Commander.::_

"What sort of information?" she asked with a frown. She somehow doubted it had anything to do with Saren.

_::Someone is killing former Alliance scientists. There have been four deaths in the past month.::_

"We have the time if you'd like me to investigate," Shepard offered. "What other information can you give me?"

_::We found a connection between the scientists. They all worked on a classified project several years ago on Akuze.::_

"I wasn't aware that there were any projects on Akuze," Shepard replied. "The only thing I know was when an entire Marine unit was wiped out by Thresher Maws…well, aside from Commander Rush."

_::You are correct, Commander. But, if it was more than just accident, we need to know. Any information you can find will be helpful to uncovering what happened on Akuze.::_

"I understand, Admiral."

_::There was one other scientist on the project: Dr Wayne. I'm transmitting his last known coordinates. Good luck, Commander. Fifth Fleet out.::_

Shepard was silent for a moment. "Did you receive the coordinates from Admiral Hackett, Joker?"

_::The coordinates are for Ontarom. It's a planet in the Newton system of the Kepler Verge.::_

"Got it. Let me know when we're close," she ordered.

_::Aye, aye, Commander.::_

Silence returned to the small room. After a few minutes of sitting there and staring at nothing in particular, Shepard pushed herself away from her desk and decided to try to catch a few hours of sleep. Travelling to the Kepler Verge would take a while so she had the time for a nap. Perhaps things would look clearer or make more sense after some sleep. Apparently her brain had other plans. Once she was lying in her bed, all she could think about was how to explain her secrecy about Sid. It wasn't the biggest concern right now and there were more important matters that needed attention. But she didn't enjoy seeing the expressions of her ground squad. They would never disobey an order or do anything that would put their lives danger but they were obviously…hurt.

They had all been forthcoming by this point about their personal lives and Shepard had not yet shared the sentiment. All she'd told them was information that was already common knowledge. Shepard didn't think they expected a second by second account of her life and Sid was a member of the crew. They deserved to know. But how did she tell them that Sid was her sister that she thought had died on Mindoir and then resurfaced as one of the galaxy's most wanted smugglers? That Shepard had been willing to accept the official reports and hadn't gone looking for her in the aftermath? She could barely admit it to herself, let alone people she regarded as friends. It wasn't just the guilt that she was having trouble accepting but it was also trying to accept the smart mouth smuggler as her little sister.

Eventually, Shepard dozed off. It felt like only five minutes had passed when Joker's voice announced that the _Normandy_ had now entered the Kepler Verge. It took her a few moments to actually wake up and register what he had said. After a few moments of thought, she decided to take Kaidan and Garrus along for this mission. They had no idea what they might face or who was killing these scientists. It was best to be prepared for anything. Shepard made her way down to her locker and once she was geared up, she made her way to the Mako to wait for arrival.

Once the Mako was dropped onto Ontarom's surface, Shepard drove towards the coordinates they had received from the Fifth Fleet. It was a slightly bumpy ride but that wasn't out of the ordinary. Apparently Garrus had made a few improvements to the Mako to better suit Shepard's driving skill – or lack thereof – because it handled much better and it didn't bounce around as much when it went over a rock or into a dip. After a few minutes of driving in absolute silence, a facility of some kind appeared on the radar. Shepard was just about to ask Kaidan to get into firing position for the turret, just in case, when someone opened fire on the Mako.

Kaidan didn't need to be asked and quickly climbed into the turret, opening fire almost immediately. Shepard started to focus on driving evasively so the shields didn't take much damage. This was easier said than done because she also needed to factor in Kaidan's aim. The people who were shooting at the Mako looked like pretty ordinary mercenaries. It didn't make sense for them to be hunting Alliance scientists. When Kaidan killed the last mercenary, Shepard parked the Mako next to the building and they all climbed out. Once they were inside, they each took a few moments to prepare their guns and make sure their shields were still functioning properly.

"Be on your guard," Shepard ordered. "We don't know what we're going to face but securing the scientist is our objective."

She led the way down the corridor and into a large room. All hell broke loose because the room was filled with a whole lot of mercenaries that were intent on killing them. To say that they were outnumbered was an understatement. It was difficult to move further away from the door so they were using some large crates for cover. There were also very few openings where they could return fire and Shepard actually found herself wishing she had brought Sid along instead. She decided that there was no point in thinking like that and chose to focus on figuring out a way that would help them. Kaidan's biotics would give them an advantage, if only there was an opportunity for him to use them.

She quickly signalled to Garrus that he – along with Shepard – would be laying down suppressing fire to give Kaidan that opportunity. They both confirmed their orders. Shepard leant around the left side of their cover and Garrus went on the right side. They both opened fire with their assault rifles and once there was a window, Kaidan used his biotics to explode a nearby canister and then throw one of the mercenaries across the room. They all quickly ducked back behind cover again. The canister seemed to have released a cloud of poisonous gas when it exploded and it gave Shepard an idea. She once again signalled to the other two to take out the canisters whenever there was a mercenary nearby. The gas might not be fatal but it would certainly help them.

Sure enough, a few of the mercenaries started to focus on the gas and not on the Marines. This provided them with the opportunity to kill a few of the mercenaries and make things a little bit easier. Shepard happened to notice that a few mercs had grouped behind the same cover so she threw a grenade at them. The mercs didn't notice immediately but once they saw the grenade, it was too late. The grenade exploded and killed them instantly. Garrus and Kaidan were also able to kill a few. This provided an opening which allowed them to move cover and travel further into the room. There were fewer mercs now but there were two Krogan mercenaries. Shepard shook her head in annoyance. Figures.

The Krogan were slowly approaching, attempting to fire their shotguns and close the distance so they could charge. Shepard didn't plan on letting that happen. She opened fire on the Krogan closest to her in an effort to wear down his shields. Garrus soon joined her and they were able to bring the shields down quickly. Garrus fired the kill shot and then went to help Kaidan with the other Krogan. Shepard threw another grenade at a few other mercs. Even if the grenade didn't actually kill them, it at least stopped them from firing at Garrus and Kaidan for a few minutes. Shepard then joined the two and they were able to kill the other Krogan.

The few remaining mercenaries were easily killed. Once they were sure that the coast was clear, Shepard walked towards the door on the opposite side of the room. Although mercenaries were clearly involved somehow, they still had no idea who was actually killing the scientists so Shepard kept her assault rifle at the ready and ordered them to proceed silently and carefully. It was possible that whoever was in charge now knew they were coming, what with all the gunfire, but Shepard didn't want to take any chances. The corridor led them to a T-junction and Shepard decided to investigate the door on the right first. She was suddenly struck by how similar all of these buildings really were.

As they approached, the door opened and revealed two people: one was the scientist, Dr Wayne, who looked to be unharmed if a bit shaky. The other man was a mercenary and he was obviously angry about something. The moment he saw them, he immediately pointed his gun at the scientist. Shepard had no doubt that this man was capable of pulling the trigger and so she slowly holstered her assault rifle.

"Stay back!" the mercenary threatened. "I have no grief with you. All I want is this bastard!"

"Please!" Dr Wayne shouted. "He's a madman! Mr Toombs, you're insane. You need help!"

That was not a smart move: insulting the man holding a gun to your head. At least they now had a name for this mercenary. While Mr Toombs was distracted by Dr Wayne, Shepard gave Kaidan a silent signal telling him to be ready with his biotics should things take a bad turn.

"Shut up! You don't get to lie!" Mr Toombs snarled back though his anger started to dissolve. "You don't…"

Shepard took a small step forward. "Mr Toombs…? My name is Commander Shepard. I'm with the Alliance and I'd like to help you but I need you to put that gun down."

"No," Toombs replied, his anger suddenly resurfacing. "He deserves to die!"

There was something about this man that made her believe he was not a bad man and that he had experienced something traumatic. She decided to listen to her instincts; they had saved her life many times before.

"You were on Akuze," Shepard guessed and Toombs' reaction told her she was right. "What happened? Why are you killing these scientists?"

Toombs' gun started to shake in his hand. "The scientists took me!"

Well, that didn't clear anything up. If anything, Shepard was now even more confused than before. The scientist, however, had suddenly gotten very defensive.

"You can't prove any of this. This man is delusional," he accused.

Perhaps this scientist wasn't as innocent as the Alliance was led to believe. The normal response would have been "I don't know what he's talking about" or "I didn't do anything". Only guilty people worried about proof.

"Dr Wayne, I would advise you to stop insulting the man holding the gun," she said evenly.

Toombs suddenly looked over to her and decided to explain. "See, they were running tests on the thresher maws. They let those things hit us just to watch and study."

Shepard suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Judging from Kaidan and Garrus' expressions, they weren't very impressed either. A lot of good Marines lost their lives that day and while Shepard hadn't known any of them personally, she'd met Commander Rush shortly after. To say he was a haunted man didn't quite cover it. Shepard could not imagine what it had been like to watch your entire unit die. Hell, she couldn't even imagine losing a single member of her crew. Non-Alliance members included. But Toombs wasn't quite finished with his explanation.

"I woke up in a holding cell. The scientists were delighted that I'd survived. Now they had someone to run tests on," he continued and his voice started to falter.

Shepard didn't know what to say at first. "I'm sorry, Toombs. If the Alliance had known…if Commander Rush had known, they would have come back for you."

Dr Wayne sputtered angrily for a few moments. "You can't believe Toombs! He doesn't have any proof! I demand a fair trial."

Shepard wanted to pull out her pistol and fire a shot right between his eyes. It was more than he deserved but, unfortunately, this…scumbag was right. He was entitled to a fair trial. They were not judge, jury and executioner.

"He was there, you bastard!" Toombs responded angrily and forced the gun into Dr Wayne's face. "He knows the truth!" Toombs then returned his attention to Shepard. "They're part of some organisation – Cerberus – that runs secret tests like this. They treated me like a lab animal."

Somehow, she wasn't surprised to hear that these scientists worked for Cerberus. This wasn't the first time she'd stumbled onto one of their secret experiments.

"This man deserves to die, Shepard," Toombs continued. "For me, for Rush, for everyone else in the unit. Are you with me?"

This suddenly got very serious and she needed to choose her words carefully otherwise one or both of them could lose their lives. "I believe you, Toombs. This isn't the first time we've come across Cerberus before. We know what they're capable of and while I agree that he should be shot, this isn't the way to deal with things. Shooting Dr Wayne won't help you. You're better than this, Toombs. You're better than them."

"Don't tell me who I am!" he practically shouted back. "You weren't there on Akuze! You didn't see what happened! The rest of my unit died! I was tortured for years, Shepard. You can't judge me. You don't have the right."

"No," she admitted gently. "I can't possibly begin to imagine what you went through but I do know what it's like to lose everything and everyone you know in a single attack. It changes a person. But you can decide _how_ it changes you. Did killing the other scientists help you? Did it ease the pain?"

Toombs didn't answer. Shepard could understand though. She'd killed quite a few Batarians in her career and never had it helped ease the pain of Mindoir or make it any easier to deal with. Her parents, her brother and her friends were still dead. Her childhood home was destroyed. And the Sydney she knew had also died. The silence was his answer.

She took a small step forward. "I couldn't help you on Akuze. All I can do is help you now. Please let me."

Toombs was silent for a moment and then cast his gaze to the floor. He sighed in defeat and dropped his arm to his side, his gun hanging limply in his hand. Shepard looked over her shoulder and signalled to Garrus that he should keep an eye on Dr Wayne. Then she slowly approached Toombs and took the gun out of his hand.

"I'm no murderer," Toombs told her in defeat. "They couldn't make me one. Just as long as he goes to trial. Maybe the screaming will stop now. I don't know."

Shepard didn't reply immediately. "Those bastards can't hurt you anymore. We'll make sure he goes to trial. You deserve some justice."

Dr Wayne started to sputter again but one look from Garrus stopped him short. Toombs nodded and sat down on one the crates nearby, staring at the floor morosely, most likely lost in his memories.

"Joker, tell the Fifth Fleet to send transport for pick up," she ordered over her radio.

_::Aye, aye, Commander.::_

They decided to hang around and wait for the Fifth Fleet to arrive. Without supervision, the situation could deteriorate very quickly and they didn't want to give Dr Wayne a chance to escape. If he really did belong to Cerberus then it was possible that if he escaped, they would never be able to track him down again. When the transport finally arrived, Shepard left Kaidan and Garrus to guard Dr Wayne and Mr Toombs so she could have a word with one of the Marines. She explained that the situation was complicated but Mr Toombs was the victim – and likely suffering from PTSD – and Dr Wayne was likely responsible. She didn't presume to tell them how to do their jobs. She trusted Admiral Hackett would find the truth and resolve this matter.

When they returned to the _Normandy_, Shepard sent her report to the Fifth Fleet and then headed for the showers. This particular assignment proved far too interesting for her liking. Hopefully, it could shed some light on Cerberus though. By the time she returned to her quarters, Joker informed her that Admiral Hackett was waiting to speak with her.

_::I reviewed your report on the situation, Commander. I'm glad you were able to take Dr Wayne alive. Now we can put him on trial and get some answers. Corporal Toombs seems to have found some closure. Hopefully, with therapy, he'll have a normal life again, someday. Thank you. Fifth Fleet out.::_

Shepard considered this for a few moments. This assignment had given her a lot to think about and to consider. Everything she had said to Toombs had been honest but she had never actually considered if, after Mindoir, she could have gone in a completely different direction. What if she let her trauma rule her life? Would she have waged a one woman war against the Batarians? Would the Skyllian Blitz have succeeded? Perhaps, in a strange way, some good had come out of the raid on Mindoir. Before, joining the Alliance had never crossed her mind and it would have been a mistake. Chances are, she would never have crossed paths with Kaidan or Ash or Joker. Just as she was starting to think about this, she was interrupted.

_::Commander, we've got a transmission coming in from the Citadel. Top priority clearance.::_

Shepard snorted. "You don't possibly think the Council could be helping us?"

_::You could always hang up on them for fun.::_

"Thanks, Joker. I'll take it in the Briefing Room," she said, shaking her head in amusement.

* * *

><p>Sid shifted uncomfortably in the small storage area. Since deciding to keep her distance from the entire crew, options of where to spend her time were limited because she wanted to be away from pretty much everyone. That basically ruled out the cockpit, the Mess Hall, Engineering, the Medical Bay, the Cargo Hold and the crew quarters. At first, she just tended to wander around aimlessly but there were a few flaws with that plan – mainly, it became extremely difficult to work. By pure accident, she stumbled into the small storage closest and decided to hide out there. It wasn't ideal but she had spent her time in far worse spaces.<p>

Putting distance between herself and the others was proving to be surprisingly difficult. She had become accustomed to spending time with Jo, Kaidan, Garrus, Tali and Joker. There was usually laughter, jokes and overall fun. Now there was silence and boredom. Perhaps Sid should have taken her chances with Executor Pallin. If she had been able to stall long enough, the virus she had uploaded into the C-Sec system would have erased any trace of the evidence they had on her and would have given her time to disappear. But no, she had to do the honourable thing by agreeing to help Jo on some mission to save the entire galaxy. The whole reason why she accepted was because Jo was her sister and then it turns out Jo doesn't even want to acknowledge that fact. This was not one of Ghost's better plans.

Sid sighed in annoyance. Just as she started to make herself comfortable on the crates she was currently sitting on, her omni-tool pinged. Apparently, Jo was calling an important session in the Briefing Room and all ground squad members needed to attend. This was unexpected. Sid knew that Jo had just returned from a mission and while it had involved some guy who had survived Akuze and possibly Cerberus, there was no reason why there would be a meeting. Intrigued, Sid stood up and stretched. Crates were not meant to be chairs. She made her way towards the Briefing Room and took a seat near the door, as far away from Jo as possible. Jo must have picked up on this because she frowned momentarily. Once everyone was seated, she cleared her throat.

"I just received a message from the Asari and Salarian Councillors. A group of spies they sent to investigate Saren made contact recently," Jo began.

Kaidan shifted in his seat. "What did it say?"

"They don't know," she answered. "The message they received contained only static. It was sent over a mission critical channel though. The Councillors believe that there was something blocking their transmission."

Sid kept her eyes focused on the floor during the conversation and had her arms folded in front of her chest. She imagined she must have looked like a sulky child during a timeout but she needed to appear as aloof as possible. It wasn't ideal and she was already starting to doubt this decision. Somehow she had thought that distancing herself from the crew would be the right thing to do – for her and for them – but it didn't feel like the right thing.

"They must have given you more information than that," Chief Williams argued.

Jo shrugged. "That's pretty much it. The Councillors believe it's worth investigating and it is the first lead we've had on Saren since Noveria. It might be worth investigating Virmire."

Sid's head suddenly snapped up and her eyes focused on Jo. "Virmire?" she repeated.

"Yes," Jo answered slowly. "It's a planet in the Hoc System of the Sentry Omega cluster. The extranet didn't have much information on it or at least anything that could be relevant to this mission."

Sid could feel the colour drain out of her face and she looked to the floor again even though she wasn't seeing it. There was no way Saren could have been involved…there's no reason to think that he had been behind it….why now? And did she tell Jo? She wasn't even sure that the rogue Spectre was involved. And things could go very badly for Sid.

"Is there anything on Virmire that could have attracted Saren's attention?" Garrus asked thoughtfully.

"No," Jo answered with a shake of her head. "The Council has ruled it as impossible to colonize so no one has settled there."

Sid decided to take a gamble. "That's…not _entirely_ true."

All eyes suddenly focused on her and she could already see the suspicion written on Chief Williams and Jo's faces.

"What do you mean?" Jo demanded. "Do you know why Saren is there?"

"I…might," Sid replied evasively.

"Sid," Jo warned in her Commander voice.

Sid sighed in defeat. "There's some sort of medical lab that was built a couple of months ago. My crew and I were hired to smuggle medical equipment there. We were told it was to avoid attracting the attention of the pirates in the Terminus Systems."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Jo asked with a very angry edge to her voice.

"I had no idea Saren was involved. I still don't know that he is," Sid answered in annoyance. "It was an anonymous hire. I never met the employer and I get paid extra for not asking questions."

"You've been keeping this to yourself all this time," Chief Williams challenged. "How do we know you aren't keeping more information to yourself?"

Sid had expected Jo to come to her defence but when she looked up, Jo was watching her closely with an angry expression as though she was thinking "I knew I made a mistake bringing you on board". Sid was surprised by how much that hurt.

She looked Chief Williams straight in the eyes. "You want the whole story? Fine. Here it is: I was contacted via email by an anonymous party to transport goods from the Citadel to Virmire. I got paid half up front and would get the other half upon delivery. There was a bonus if I didn't ask questions about my employer or why I was transporting the goods even though they gave a reason. So I didn't ask questions. I picked up the crates and inspected them to make sure they wouldn't blow me up. It turns out it was medical equipment. What type of equipment, you may ask? I don't know. I'm not a bloody doctor. I dropped the cargo off on Virmire and received the second half of my payment. I also found out I wasn't the only smuggler that had been hired. When I left Virmire, I started to hear news that other smugglers were being killed. As it turns out, they had all been hired to move things to Virmire."

"How are you still alive then?" Williams asked smugly, apparently thinking she had caught Sid in a lie.

Sid rolled her eyes. "My payment came in the form of a box. When I heard of the first few deaths, I went to investigate. As it turns out, my payment was actually a bomb. It was big enough to destroy my entire ship and a lot more. I did the smart thing and vented the Cargo Hold. The bomb was sucked into space and exploded harmlessly."

"That sounds like Saren," Wrex commented. "Cleaning house once the job is done."

Sid looked up to Jo and spoke very defensively. "If I had known that Saren was involved, I would have told you. But I had no idea. There was never any reason to suspect he was involved. Besides, when I took the job, Saren was still the Council's best and brightest. He hadn't been labelled as rogue so I have done nothing wrong."

Jo narrowed her eyes angrily.

"But why would Saren build a medical facility?" Kaidan interrupted.

Sid shrugged but before she could say anything, Jo cut her off. "Right. You don't ask questions."

"When you do, you learn the dangers of curiosity, Jo. When your Admiral Hackett or Captain Anderson give you assignments or missions, do you ever dig into their pasts to try to figure out their motivations?" Sid challenged evenly.

"That's different," Jo answered impatiently.

"Is it?"

Silence followed this question. After all this time, the other ground squad members had not seen Jo confront someone so openly. She usually waited until they were alone to sort out any problems. And Sid did not like having her honour questioned. She had agreed to share any information that might be relevant to the mission. When Sid agreed to the terms of a job, she would _always_ follow through, no matter what. Even if the other side did not follow through on their side of the agreement. Kaidan, Liara, Tali and Garrus kept switching their attention between Jo and Sid, trying to see who would either crack first or calm the situation down.

After a few tense minutes of Jo and Sid staring each other down, Jo spoke but her eyes never left Sid's. "Regardless, I believe Virmire is worth investigating. If we find nothing on the planet itself, the spies might have information that could point us in the right direction. We don't know what to expect so keep your guard up and make sure all your weapons and gear are in perfect condition. When we're there, there's no telling when the next opportunity for repairs will come about. Dismissed."

Sid finally tore her eyes away from Jo and left the Briefing Room first. She was annoyed and frustrated. Perhaps Jo thought her sudden distant behaviour meant she was now working for Saren or some other ridiculous notion. And Sid was being more honest than any of them were giving her credit for. Had she even suspected that Saren had been her employer all those months ago, she would have told Jo. Regardless of the thousand other ways the conversation could have gone, Sid had to note the universe's cruel sense of humour. She had wanted to put distance between herself and the others. Distance – coupled with trust and suspicion – was what she had just accomplished in this briefing. It was interesting to see how things were going to play out…although Sid really wished she wasn't a player in this game.


	18. Chapter 18

**Here's the update I promised and I hope you enjoy. This took some real thinking so I hope it's good and that you enjoy. Also, just a heads up, I will be skipping quite a bit of Virmire – mostly the Mako driving and other parts that are not relevant to this story. It gets a bit tedious trying to go over every last detail as it is mostly blowing up geth and the like.**

**Thank you for all of the favourites, alerts and reviews.**

**Chapter 18**

Sid had returned to her storage closet and found that she was feeling quite restless. There wasn't enough room to pace and if she went anywhere else, people were bound to give her sideways looks and whisper about her behind her back. This was not a surprising outcome. Very few people associated the word "smuggler" with "trustworthy" or "loyal". A few of the crew members looked like they had been expecting this turn of events the moment Jo had brought her onto the _Normandy_. Normally, Sid wouldn't be bothered with the mistrust or wild exaggerations that passed for rumours but she had been a member of the crew for a while now and their opinions suddenly mattered to her. Weird. Sid tried to push away the hurt and guilt yet she couldn't do it.

The guilt bothered her though. She had done nothing wrong so there was no reason to actually feel guilty. Based on the facts that she had known at the time…Sid suddenly felt very angry. Jo was openly questioning her honour and wouldn't back down or even try to see things from her point of view, like she had before. She was being so hypocritical that it was totally unfair. After everything Sid had done for her, Jo was acting as though she wasn't any better than the criminal scum that raided human colonies. She clenched her teeth in anger and turned around to punch the wall with her bare hand. It was perhaps not the smartest move. A soft whimper of pain escaped from her lips and she could feel tears forming in her eyes. For so long, Sid kept all of her emotions bottled up that she didn't even realise how angry she really was until her hand connected with the wall.

Sid collapsed on one of the crates and cradled her right hand. It was too painful to move and it was starting to swell.

"Another genius move," Sid muttered in frustration. "Got any other bright ideas?"

How could one job affect her so much? Because this was just a job, after all…right? Sid sighed in disappointment. There was a time when she could convince dangerous pirates that she had not tampered with their weapons or even looked inside the crates. Now, she couldn't even convince herself of a simple fact that had been true when she first signed on. She shifted her body to lean against the wall and winced when pain shot through her hand. There was no way to avoid seeing Dr Chakwas. Sid groaned silently. This would involve walking past…people. She moved her hand gingerly so it was against her stomach and moved her left arm underneath to support it before heading towards the Medical Lab. Jo, Kaidan, Chief Williams, Tali and Garrus were sitting in the Mess Hall and watched her pass. Sid avoided eye contact completely.

Dr Chakwas looked up in surprise when the doors opened. "Sydney? What can I do for you?"

Sid didn't quite know how to explain it. "I…hurt my hand."

The doctor gave her a confused look and then directed her gaze downwards. When she saw Sid's hand, her frown was replaced by a look of concern and she ushered Sid over to the nearest cot. For the next few minutes, Dr Chakwas was silent as she tried to gauge the extent of the damage before applying medi-gel to her entire hand – back and front. The pain subsided a bit but it still hurt and probably would for a few hours. At least the medi-gel would speed up the healing process so there wouldn't be a need for a cast. Sid also held her tongue and aside from wincing occasionally, she showed no other acknowledgement of the pain. Only when Dr Chakwas started to bandage her hand from the wrist, did she finally speak.

"How did you injure your hand? I know you were not on the last mission." Dr Chakwas' voice was stern.

Sid did not answer immediately because she felt stupid for doing what she did. "I…uh…I punched a wall."

The doctor looked up with both of her eyebrows raised. "You punched a wall?"

Sid looked at the floor, unable to meet the doctor's stern gaze. "It was stupid, I know but I was just so angry."

Dr Chakwas did not say anything else until the bandage was secure. Sid was about to leave when Dr Chakwas indicated that she was not free to go just yet.

"It's a sprain. It isn't too serious although it will still hurt for a while. The medi-gel will numb the pain for a few hours though I wouldn't recommend going on any groundside missions until further notice," the doctor instructed in a strict voice that indicated that this particular point was not up for discussion. Her expression softened when she decided to speak again. "I know you don't like anything to do with doctors but you need to speak to someone if punching a wall sounds like a good way to release your anger. So…talk."

Sid took a deep breath and glanced out the window at Jo who was currently listening to something Kaidan was explaining. Whatever the lieutenant was talking about did not go down well with Jo because she shook her head and pursed her lips – obvious signs that she disagreed with whatever they were discussing.

"Jo…that is, Commander Shepard implied that I'm a liar and that I have no honour," she admitted quietly and returned to staring at the floor.

"Your honour is very important to you," Dr Chakwas remarked.

Sid nodded in answer. "I lost everything when I was kid except for what my parents taught me. My mother believed in honour and even though we didn't get along, it's the only way I know of how to stay close to her so when I agree to something, I will do it. I always keep my promises. Ever since I agreed to help with this mission, I've done nothing else. And then she suddenly questions everything about me because I didn't tell her about a job months ago that I had no idea was even relevant." She could feel her anger resurfacing but she was able to keep it under control.

"Did you tell the Commander that you had no way of knowing it was relevant?" Dr Chakwas asked gently.

"Yeah. I told her that if I had known then I would have told her immediately but she still looked at me like I just sold out humanity," Sid answered.

Dr Chakwas was silent for a moment. "Can I give you some non-medical advice?"

Sid looked up and nodded once.

"Marines are sometimes difficult to deal with and can be very stubborn at times. I've found that the easiest way to get through to them is not with words but through action," the doctor advised with a thoughtful expression. "If you want the Commander to trust you then you need to show her that you are trustworthy. Once she realizes that she misjudged you, I'm sure an apology will follow."

Sid was not convinced. It had not been her experience that Jo would admit when she was wrong nor had she ever apologised for it. And Sid was not entirely sure she wanted Jo to trust her. She just wanted to prove her wrong. "And how am I supposed to do this?"

Dr Chakwas smiled. "Only you can answer that question, Sydney."

Thank you, Dr Fortune Cookie. "Thanks, Doc."

"And try not to punch any more walls."

Sid smiled. "Now that's some good advice."

Dr Chakwas returned to her desk and Sid left the Medical Lab with no clear idea of what to do now. The storage closest was no longer an attractive hiding place now that it had injured her and there were few other places where she could hide. Then again, after what had happened in the briefing, perhaps she didn't need to hide. The question then became…could she handle the accusing stares and whispered conversations behind her back? When Jo had first suggested this arrangement, Sid had prepared herself for all manner of abuse the moment the crew found out that she was Ghost but as she started to get used to the crew, she let her guard down and grew complacent. If she planned on returning to the smuggling game after this, she needed to get used to the hostile treatment again.

With a heavy sigh, Sid decided to grab a cup of tea and she sat down in one of the empty chairs in the Mess Hall which just happened to be two chairs down from Jo. Figures. With the way her day was going so far, she half expected to walk straight into the Shadow Broker. That would be fitting. Sid didn't need to look up to know that her presence had been noticed. Conversation at the table stopped immediately and she could feel that she was being watched, probably by Chief Williams. Sid chose to adopt an air of not caring and she relaxed in her chair. She held her cup of tea in her left hand and rested her right hand on the table's surface. That way, she wouldn't accidently hit it against something and make it worse. At least she could still use her omni-tool.

After a few moments of tense and awkward silence, Jo cleared her throat and Sid glanced in her direction. Tali and Garrus were watching them expectantly. Kaidan was staring at the table's surface and Chief Williams looked like she was trying to read Sid's mind. Jo had constructed a mask of neutrality. Evidently, she was now in Commander mode. Sid raised an eyebrow. Something told her she was not going to like whatever came next.

"Sydney," Jo began formally. "It has been pointed out to me (she glanced at Kaidan in annoyance) that our…disagreement is having an adverse effect on the crew so in the interest of cohesiveness, I…forgive you."

Sid's eyebrows rose in disbelief and she had to scoff. "_You_ forgive _me_?" Something inside of Sid snapped and she couldn't stop the anger. "I did absolutely nothing wrong, Jo, except for the fact that I expected you to look at things from my perspective. I am so sick of your hypocritical crap and I am tired of trying to live up to your impossible standards. I've been trying, all right? But I'm done."

She got to her feet and if it had been under any other circumstances, the looks of surprise across the board would have been funny. If her hand had not been sore, it was possible that she would have clenched fists because of how angry she felt. No one on the _Normandy_ would openly question anything Commander Shepard said. A few of the crewmembers had even forgotten what they were doing and had stopped in their tracks to watch what was happening.

Jo was the first to recover and she was angry. "So, that's it? If you were just going to give up, why even agree to come with us?"

"You," Sid corrected furiously, not completely paying attention to what she was saying because she was trying to keep her emotions in check. "I agreed to come with _you_ because you're my sister and family still means something to me. I thought it did to you too. I guess I was wrong."

Once again, the looks of shock would have been hilarious if she was not so angry. Everyone's attention shifted from Sid to Jo, wondering if what they had just heard was true. Jo's anger had faltered and was now replaced by confusion, maybe guilt. Sid shook her head in disappointment and left the Mess Hall, not entirely sure of where she was going. Everything she had said was absolutely the truth. She was done trying to be someone she wasn't just so she could try to earn some brownie points with big sis. The first opportunity she got, she was leaving and that was it. Despite her earlier reservations, this had just proved that no matter what, Sid would not be a true member of the crew. There were times when she felt like she was but as this just demonstrated, Jo had never fully trusted her.

If she was not even marginally trusted, then the information she gathered would always be in question which would completely defeat the purpose and it would waste time. Sid had agreed to help by gathering information – although it turned out her skills with a pistol and in combat were also quite useful – and if Jo wouldn't trust her or her information then there was no point in sticking around. The crew would be relieved and so would Jo so it was unlikely that anyone would say a word about it to Executor Pallin. And if done right, it would take a few hours for anyone to notice that there was a person missing. Sid just needed to work out the little details and she would be gone.

* * *

><p>The crew of the <em>Normandy<em> was handling the situation well. Pretty much everyone understood the fact that while Commander Shepard took the time to get to know her crew, she was entitled to keep her own secrets. There were things that Kaidan, Ashley, Garrus, Wrex, Tali and Liara didn't tell Shepard or would in time. And it was well known that Shepard had lost everything when she was just sixteen so the fact that she did not like talking about anything relating to her childhood was not surprising. It was extremely difficult for her to talk about and everyone guessed that with enough time, she would have admitted it herself.

Commander Shepard also explained that the reason why she didn't say anything was because she had accepted that her entire family had died when she was a teenager. Then Sid reappeared as a fugitive wanted by the Council, the Alliance and the majority of the Terminus System. Shepard had a hard time believing – never mind accepting – that this young woman was actually her little sister. She had felt guilty for keeping this from those she considered friends but they had handled it well. They all had things they would rather keep personal and secret though they all had a hard time seeing the resemblance.

Joker disagreed. Physically speaking, Sid and the Commander couldn't be more different. However, there were certain personality traits that they had in common. They were both stubborn, for one. They also shared the same strong determination and a sense for doing what would be considered right even if their methods were different. For a pair of young girls who grew up on a farming colony, they also possessed similar skill with firearms. And they also had a habit of keeping people at a distance. It was understandable considering how much they lost and their careers didn't exactly promote safety although they both had their exceptions. Shepard had connected with Kaidan and Ashley while Sid had connected with Tali and – surprisingly enough – Garrus. And himself, Joker suddenly realised.

Everything was pretty much back to normal for the crew though a few people seemed to be spending their time trying to imagine Shepard and Sid growing up as kids together…though Sid had disappeared again. Joker had tried to find her from his perch in the cockpit – not that he was a stalker, at all – because he wanted to make sure she was all right after the fairly loud and open disagreement. Then there was also the disagreement in the briefing room earlier. Perhaps she didn't want to be found. And if he did manage to find her, what did he say? That he's sorry for what happened? That just sounded so clichéd. Man, was he useless when it came to talking with non-Alliance women.

One of his consoles started to flash and he moved it in front of him to get a better look at the information. _Normandy_'s systems were picking up a strange signal from Virmire even though they were just under an hour out. The signal was weak and full of static; it was impossible to make anything out. It sounded like the description that the Council gave Shepard about the Salarians' signal. Perhaps Sid could maybe tweak it like back on Feros to make it stronger? It was unlikely because he needed to find her first and they were fast approaching Virmire. There wasn't much time left.

"Commander, I'm reading a signal. Must be our Salarian infiltration team," he said directly to the Commander.

_::Understood, Joker. I'm on my way.:_

Shepard arrived in the cockpit with Ashley and Kaidan in tow. That was a surprise. The Commander had recovered and she was now projecting an air of neutrality as she always had done but there was an edge to her voice. It might have been anger or shame; annoyance? It was hard to tell with her sometimes. They all looked at the information on the screen though it looked like it didn't make much sense to the soldiers. Kaidan frowned, obviously picking up on their difficult situation: going into a potentially hostile scenario with no clue about the possible layout of the zone or what they might face down there.

"You know who could help?" Joker asked carefully.

Shepard gave him a dark look. "She's not an option right now."

Joker could tell that this topic was not up for discussion so he didn't mention Sid again. He did notice that Kaidan looked equally unimpressed with her answer. Sid had been on Virmire before and she could definitely give them an idea of what to expect in terms of terrain. As they got closer to the planet's surface, the scans picked up something else and another screen displayed digital schematics of anti-aircraft guns which had the potential to punch a few holes in the _Normandy_. Joker was not going to let that thing touch his baby.

"Check out those defence towers," Kaidan noted with a thoughtful expression as he peered at the monitor.

Shepard also glanced at it, trying to come up with a plan. "Drop the Mako. We'll go in hot and take them out."

"I'll get you in under their radar, Commander," Joker replied and repositioned his ball cap.

"Kaidan, Ash, you're coming with me. Joker, tell Garrus he's coming too," Shepard ordered.

"Aye, aye, Commander," Joker replied as the Marines made their way to their lockers to suit up.

This mission was going to be an interesting one.

* * *

><p>It just had to be Geth that had overrun Virmire. There was a near endless supply of them and they were efficient killers, despite the flashlight heads as Ash pointed out when they first met. At least it was a good way to vent her frustrations or so Shepard thought. She had never met another person that could throw her emotions into such chaos as Sid could. At the moment, Shepard was trying her hardest to keep her attention focused on the mission at hand. It was going to be a difficult mission and there was no way to predict what was going to happen. Sid had mentioned that there was a medical lab of some sort but there was no way of knowing just how true this information was or how accurate.<p>

The Salarian STG camp was coming up fast, thankfully. Perhaps they would be able to answer some of the questions. The _Normandy_ was grounded and the rest of the crew was waiting for them. Shepard slid the Mako to a stop and checked the radar just to make sure there weren't any more enemies in the area. The last thing they needed was an ambush. Garrus climbed out the Mako, followed by Kaidan and then Ash. Shepard was the last to climb out and she took a look around at their surroundings. The camp was located on the edge of a beach made up of golden sand and crystal blue water. This was a beautiful planet.

The Salarians' camp was made up of a couple of tents that sprawled across the fine sand. There weren't many of the Salarians themselves. They were spread out across their small camp, keeping watch in all directions. A handful patrolled the camp, even going out into the water of the ocean to make sure they didn't miss anything. The _Normandy_ was sitting nearby. Wrex, Tali and Liara had disembarked and were waiting for orders for their next move. Kaidan, Ash and Garrus had also gone on ahead. Strangely, there was no sign of Sid. Shepard had no idea if this was a good thing or a bad thing. She remembered that Sid had mentioned she was leaving but there was no way of knowing when she would choose to leave. Once again, she had no idea if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

As Shepard approached the camp, she found Ash in conversation with a Salarian. Perhaps the soldier was making progress.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" she demanded harshly.

Then again, maybe not.

The Salarian was unruffled with her tone. "Stay put until we can come up with a plan."

Shepard did another once over of the camp as she closed the distance. This particular Salarian was the only one conversing with anyone from her crew which likely meant he was in charge. It was still a guess so she needed confirmation.

"Are you in charge?" she asked. "What's the situation?"

"I'm Captain Kirrahe, Third Infiltration Regiment, STG," the Salarian answered. "You and your crew just landed in the middle of a hotzone. Every AA gun within ten miles has been alerted to your presence."

Well, that explained why Joker had grounded the _Normandy_. He wouldn't be able to get anywhere without getting shot down and the helmsman would never put "his baby" in danger knowingly.

"Fantastic," Shepard muttered sarcastically, her frustration directed at their luck. Then she looked back at Captain Kirrahe. "You clearly know more about the situation than we do. What would you suggest we do in the meantime?"

"We stay put until the Council sends the reinforcements we requested," the Captain replied with no hesitation. His faith in the Council was admirable, if perhaps a bit misplaced.

Shepard couldn't stop the sinking feeling that appeared and she nervously rubbed the back of her neck with her right hand.

"We _are_ the reinforcements," Kaidan said. His tone indicated that he was no more impressed with the current situation than Shepard.

"What?" Captain Kirrahe demanded in disbelief. "You're all they sent? I told the Council to send a fleet."

"I'm sorry, Captain. The transmission you sent was mostly static. No one understood what it said so the Council sent us to investigate," Shepard explained.

Captain Kirrahe recovered quickly. "That is a repetition of our task."

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked with a frown.

"I lost half my men _investigating_ this place," the Salarian continued, unaware of the question.

Kaidan took a step forward and Shepard was suddenly very conscious of how close he was standing.

"What did you find out?" he asked curiously. Any information they could get would be useful.

"Saren's base of operations," Kirrahe answered in a matter of fact tone. "He's set up a research facility here but it's crawling with geth. It's also very well fortified."

Shepard was surprised by this and she also felt a bit guilty. Sid had been right so far. She pushed this thought away and focused on the Captain.

"Is Saren here? Have you seen him?" she asked carefully. If Saren was here, it would make everything that much harder.

"No," Kirrahe replied. "But his geth are everywhere and we've intercepted some comms referring to Saren. This _is_ his facility, there's no doubt about it."

Shepard was silent for a moment as she processed all of this. "Do you know what he is researching here?"

"He's using the facility to breed an army of Krogan," he answered in the same matter of fact tone.

Wrex approached and he looked grumpy. "How is that possible?"

Kirrahe did not look at all intimidated by Wrex's presence. "Apparently he's discovered a cure for the genophage and all of the Krogan here follow Saren."

Shepard knew that a cure for the genophage would have an impact on the entire galaxy and it was also important to Wrex but the idea that Saren would have an army of Geth _and_ Krogan did not sound good.

"The geth are bad enough but an army of Krogan…he'd be almost unstoppable," she said out loud and shook her head in disbelief.

"Exactly my thoughts," Kirrahe agreed. "We must ensure that this facility and its secrets are destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Wrex repeated angrily. "I don't think so. Our people are dying. This cure can save them."

"If that cure leaves this planet, the Krogan will become unstoppable. We can't make the same mistake again," Kirrahe argued.

Shepard tried to silently warn the Salarian not to finish that sentence but it was too late.

Wrex marched up to Kirrahe and raised a hand threateningly, forcing Kirrahe to lean back. "We are _not_ a mistake."

Wrex gave the Salarian a threatening glare before marching off angrily. Shepard was glad that Wrex didn't lay a finger – or talon or whatever – on the Captain. Not only would it have been an awkward call to the Council but she had no idea what she would have done if a fight broke out. One widely accepted fact in the galaxy was that you never got involved in a fight with a Krogan, especially not an angry Krogan. It was times like this that she was glad that she had Wrex on her crew and not another Krogan. She only hoped she would be able to talk him down.

"Is he going to be a problem?" Kirrahe asked and nodded his head in Wrex's direction. "We already have enough angry Krogan to deal with."

It was hard to tell if Kirrahe was righteous, professional or oblivious because he gave no indication that he even acknowledged that he was responsible for this particular angry Krogan.

"Don't worry about Wrex," Shepard decided. "I'll go talk to him. He'll be fine."

"I'd appreciate that, Commander. My men and I need to rethink our plan of attack. Can you give us some time?"

"Of course, Captain. Just let me know when you're ready," Shepard answered.

"We won't be long, Commander."

Captain Kirrahe walked off to speak with his men and Shepard turned around to face Kaidan and Ash. They had walked closer to her so they formed a small circle in an effort to make sure no one overheard this discussion. Kaidan and Ash were the only members of the crew that she felt she could speak freely with.

"Looks like things are a bit of a mess," Kaidan remarked critically.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I wouldn't be so worried if it wasn't for Wrex. It looks like he's going to blow a gasket."

Shepard took a deep breath. "I'll go talk to him, see if I can get through. I'll be careful but be ready…just in case."

"I'm always ready," Ash reassured.

Shepard took a moment to prepare herself. Having a conversation with a Krogan was not exactly on her list of things to do today. Wrex was standing further up the beach at the water's edge and he was firing his shotgun into the water. Shepard had no idea if this was just some Krogan relaxation technique or if he was just hungry. He didn't look up when she approached and she decided to keep her distance.

"This isn't right, Shepard," he told her though his voice had lost most of its anger. "If there's a cure for the genophage, we can't destroy it."

"Wrex, I understand that you are upset. But we both know that Saren is the real enemy here. He's the one you should be angry with," Shepard tried to reason.

Wrex closed the distance between them. "Really? Saren created a cure for my people. You want to destroy it. Help me out here, Shepard. The lines between friend and foe are getting a little blurry from where I stand."

"I can see it from your perspective and I get where you're coming from but please listen to me. This isn't a cure, it's a weapon. And if Saren is allowed to use it, you won't be around to reap the benefits. None of us will," Shepard argued with everything she had, trying to make her friend understand.

"That's a chance we should be willing to take," Wrex countered. "This is the fate of my entire people we're talking about. If you can't give me a better reason than this to destroy the hopes of my people then I'm done with you."

Wrex tensed and he pulled out his shotgun. Out of pure reflex, Shepard took out her pistol and pointed it back at him. She didn't need to look around to know that every single person was watching this right now.

"I can't let you put this mission in jeopardy. It's too important."

"So that's it. All this time and that's all I get from you? How can you not see what this means to the Krogan? This base can't be destroyed. _I won't allow it_."

This was not the way to go. If they continued to challenge each other like this, one or both of them would end up getting shot. Shepard slowly holstered her pistol and straightened her posture, raising her hands in a surrender gesture. She did not want to lose a friend today.

"These Krogan are slaves to Saren," Shepard practically pleaded. "Puppets, tools to be used and discarded. Is that what you want for your people?"

Wrex continued to stare down his shotgun into her eyes. Perhaps he saw her honesty or desperation because his own gaze softened. Perhaps her words had gotten through to him.

"No. We were tools for the Council once. To thank us for wiping out the rachni, they neutered us all. I doubt Saren will be as generous." There were a few more tense moments and then Wrex holstered his shotgun. "All right, Shepard. You've made your point. I don't like this but I trust you enough to follow your lead. Just one thing: when we find Saren, I want his head."

Shepard smiled. "Deal."

**On a side note, I just wanted to explain a few minor things. I originally planned on having the big reveal of Sid and Shepard's relationship in one of the last chapters but I think it actually fits in quite well here. The fight was also necessary so the crew would still have the minor difficulties on Virmire (i.e. little knowledge of the terrain and the static in Kirrahe's message, etc.) because I believe these are important to the story. I know there's a lot of game dialogue but I was having a severe case of writer's block so I do apologise. I hope you enjoyed and if you have a few moments, I'd love to hear some feedback.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Sid stopped for a moment to catch her breath and flexed her sore hand. It still hurt a bit. At least the bandage and the glove provided some support and protected it, allowing her to still use her weapons accurately. Hand to hand combat was probably not an option though. This wasn't exactly the greatest escape plan in the history of escape plans but it was the best that she could do under the circumstances.

While Jo and the others had been mowing down the Geth in the Mako, Sid had been busy. She had used the time to upload all of her information from the data collecting datapads and her inventions onto her omni-tool and then completely wiping them; she had managed to find a backpack which was strong enough to carry all of her belongings: her casual clothes, inventions that were still in progress, the odds and ends that she used to create her inventions, and her spare omni-tool. She was wearing her hardsuit and had all of her weapons equipped: a pistol on each hip, her functioning inventions in the pouches along her belt and one knife strapped around each thigh (the others she had put in her pack).

When the _Normandy_ was grounded and the ground squad members were hanging around the Salarian camp, Sid had used her tactical cloak to sneak off the ship. She hung around just long enough to hear Kirrahe's plan. It was definitely a crazy one: set off a twenty kiloton bomb after infiltrating the base and disabling the AA guns. The Salarians were also going to divide into three teams to draw attention away from Shadow Squad, one of which would be led by Chief Williams. Jo was going to be a part of Shadow squad, along with Garrus and Wrex. Kaidan was going to oversee the bomb on the _Normandy_. Once the AA guns were offline, the _Normandy_ would drop off the bomb and Saren's research base would be wiped off the planet.

Based on the information that Kirrahe had given to Jo, Sid had managed to calculate how big the blast from the bomb would be and how far she needed to get to outrun it – approximately fifteen miles. It was going to be a pretty big explosion and the chances of escaping it were slim. This was why Sid had decided to sneak into the facility and find some ship to "borrow" or stow away on. It was easier to get around than she first thought because between Jo's squad and the Salarians, the Geth had their hands full and weren't looking for a cloaked individual.

Sid wasn't completely heartless though. Whenever she came across something that would help any of the squads, she'd see what she could do. Judging from the communications she was monitoring, the Salarians attributed the small things that helped them to Jo's squad although she heard little communication from Shadow squad.

Sid was able to reach the actual research facility quicker than she first thought. She didn't waste time starting a fight with the Geth and just kept moving, carefully avoiding anything that might alert them. It was a cold decision but Jo would be able to handle it. She wouldn't be a Council Spectre if she couldn't. Between Wrex's Krogan charge and biotics and Garrus' sniper rifle, the Geth wouldn't last long anyway. She eventually made it to the facility. It looked almost the same as it did a few months ago however there were a few differences. It was much larger than it had been and there were definitely more Krogan running around, not to mention Geth. If she remembered correctly, the hangar would be on the other side of the base to where she was now.

After silently hacking her way into the facility, Sid found a computer terminal and hooked up her omni-tool. It wouldn't hurt to download the schematics and learn everything possible about this place. Saren must have been pretty arrogant or confident that no one would find this facility because the computer security was disappointing. As soon as she brought up the information, she really wished she hadn't. Apparently, Saren used the facility for two purposes. One was developing a cure for the Genophage and breeding or cloning Krogan warriors to fight for him, as if an army of Geth wasn't enough. The second purpose involved researching the effects of indoctrination from Sovereign. Apparently, a lot of Kirrahe's team had been captured alive and were now being used as guinea pigs. Saren had some serious issues.

Sid couldn't help but vaguely wonder if Saren was indoctrinated and was trying to find a cure for it while a part of his mind was still his own. Matriarch Benezia had joined him in the hopes of eventually stopping him. Instead, her thoughts were no longer her own and her pure intentions were twisted so much that she was willing to kill her own daughter for a mission that was not hers. The Council spoke very highly of Saren's work as a Spectre and it took a lot of convincing to make them accept that he had gone rogue. Then again, he didn't exactly approve of humans and he was working very hard to kill as many as possible. Maybe Sovereign was using Saren's dislike for humans against him and providing him the means to do so while advancing his own agenda? It wasn't unheard of, especially in the Terminus Systems.

There was suddenly a loud explosion outside and it interrupted Sid's musings. It also sent the facility into a flurry of activity as Jo drew closer. Sid downloaded the schematics and started to map her route to the hangar, hoping to run into very few enemies. Sid hesitated for a moment before leaving the computer terminal, even though she could hear Geth and Krogan moving around. They would stumble onto her position soon. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to leave. Major Kirrahe had a right to know what happened to his men, no matter how gruesome or horrific. And Salarians were known for their scientific minds. They might be able to do a lot with this research information. Sid made sure to delete anything that would possibly lead back to her before preparing to send the data. She activated a time delay. This would make sure the data was sent an hour later so it wouldn't interfere with his mission.

Once that was done, Sid reactivated her cloaking and began to follow the route she had committed to memory. There were quite a few labs spread throughout. Luckily, the scientists were too involved in their work to notice a door mysteriously opening and if they did hear anything, the door had already closed by the time they looked up. The Geth and Krogan were running around in chaos, trying to bolster the ranks of the others that were falling before the Salarian teams or Shadow. It was remarkably easy to escape notice, not that Krogan were known for their intelligence.

Something went wrong then and there was no way to know what had triggered it. A high pitch sound travelled throughout the facility and Sid immediately hit the ground, using her hands to cover her ears. The sound made windows shatter and glass littered the floors everywhere. This sent the Geth into a frenzy and Sid had to be more careful. Her omni-tool had picked up the signal and she quickly glanced at it. It was like nothing she had ever seen before…but it was a puzzle for another time. The ground shuddered beneath her and it was at that moment she realised it must have been Sovereign…he was Jo's problem, not hers. She scrambled to her feet and continued on her way.

The hangar was large and had a handful of ships which looked ready for travel. They were not of Geth origin and they were not Saren's either because he used Sovereign to move around. These ships must have been put aside for the Krogan once they were ready to go out and kill people. There were also only a few guards. The others must have been sent to fight the Salarians. Sid was able to sneak around the couple of Geth and Krogan guards. If she attacked one Geth, every single unit in the facility would know she was there and that would end badly. Facing down more than one angry Krogan at a time in close quarters was also not an appealing idea. If she could make it to a ship and take off before they realised, then there would be nothing they could do.

Carefully, she placed one foot in front of another and headed to the closest ship. It was small and looked like the type of ship she'd seen small groups of mercenaries use when they couldn't afford anything bigger. It also only needed one pilot. The weapons and shields would not hold up against an open attack but its size made it agile and its manoeuvrability – if piloted right – would make the shields unnecessary. And she only needed it to work long enough for her to get out of here. Perhaps Ace would be willing to pick her up? Aria was also trying to convince Ghost to work for her on a more permanent basis. There were other options…providing she could escape the bomb.

Sid slipped on board quietly and was surprised to find that there were no guards posted here. She terminated her cloaking and started to quietly check out the ship to make sure it was functioning. Next, she ran a couple of diagnostics to check that it was space worthy. Thankfully, these diagnostics did not need much power which meant the guards didn't realise one of their ships would soon be missing. Once it was clear that this ship would get her away from here, she began the take-off sequence which immediately attracted the attention of the guards. They opened fire on her ship but the shields absorbed them easily. Their guns were no match for these shields. She was home free.

_::Heads up, LT. We just spotted a troop ship headed to your location.::_

_::It's already here. There's Geth pouring all over the bomb site.::_

Sid's hand hovered over the controls. The situation was turning bad fast. Jo had a reputation for pulling off the impossible but even she couldn't be in two places at once. Her conscience started to scream at her and she knew she needed to do something. Tactically speaking, the bomb was more important. This facility needed to be destroyed for various reasons and the bomb was the only way to do it. If Saren was caught in the blast, then it was just better. And Sid couldn't leave Kaidan to die. He was just starting to feel like her big brother, regardless of his relationship with Jo. He was also a good man and the Alliance would need someone like him if they failed to stop Saren and the Reaper invasion now.

In that moment, she had realised a lot. Her decision to leave the _Normandy_ had nothing to do with protecting the others. It was just an excuse that made her feel better. It was selfish. The reality was she was terrified of getting close to anyone, especially to Joker and Jo. After what had happened on Mindoir and then becoming a smuggler paired with the large number of betrayals, the idea of forming a close relationship with anyone was never an option and had never crossed her mind. And then she joined the _Normandy_ and everything got so screwed up. She was finally making progress with Jo and realised she had developed feelings for Joker…her first instinct was to run. The idea of losing them…she doubted she would survive losing everyone who meant anything to her. Not after Mindoir. Not after _The Machine_.

Sid also realised that she had been fooling herself. Non-violent? Yeah right. Violence followed her everywhere and she easily fell into combat to protect herself and those she considered friends. Besides, who in their right mind used knives unless they were looking for violence? Knives were violent weapons that required close quarters combat and could even cause long, painful deaths. It had been a lie she had fabricated to distance herself from the pirates and smugglers that served as her partners before she became freelance, tricking herself into believing that she was better than them. She had always readily accepted that she was a smuggler so perhaps she was scum, just like every other smuggler out there? Maybe Jo was right to question her trustworthiness? Not about Virmire, of course, but about other things. There wasn't time to dwell on this now and she needed to focus.

"Dammit!" Sid cursed angrily as she began the landing procedures. She had already made up her mind.

Once the ship was almost to the floor, she opened the hatch and then initiated the self-destruct sequence. As soon as the countdown started, she activated her cloaking and dropped out the hatch. Even though Jo was on her way to help Kaidan, there wasn't any time to lose. Saren would make sure his Geth stalled her while buying his other Geth the time to kill Kaidan and destroy the bomb. Sid sprinted out the hanger, past the confused Krogan and was fast approaching the bomb site. She had to slam on brakes when she found herself in a lab a few stories up with a window overlooking the bomb site. Things did not look good. Geth had swarmed the site and the other Marines were struggling to keep them back as they tried to buy Kaidan enough time to activate the bomb. He didn't have an opportunity to use his biotics.

For the first time, Sid was finally glad to have her hardsuit. The boots were reinforced with shock absorbers so she could drop from quite a height without injuring herself. She took a step back from the window and then used her pistol to blow out the glass. She holstered it again and took a running jump out of the window just as the hanger exploded spectacularly as the other ships just added more fuel to the fire. It also served the purpose of momentarily distracting the Geth down below. The moment she hit the ground, she rolled and got back onto her feet in a crouch. Her cloaking was still active and she took a moment to gain her bearings. No one had noticed her arrival yet despite the water that was everywhere.

She looked up in time to see a Geth come up behind Kaidan and knock him to the floor. Kaidan was sprawled on his back and disorientated because he had been so focused on the bomb. Sid took out her pistol and approached the Geth from behind. With a single shot, she blew the Geth's head off. Kaidan looked up in confusion. Sid's cloaking terminated and his confusion only increased. Without another word, she drew her other pistol and opened fire at the other Geth, killing a lot in a short span of time. She holstered her pistol in her right hand and took out a small device that looked similar to a grenade. It was an EMP but it still had a few bugs. Sid tossed it in the middle of a small group of Geth and electricity shot up them all in an effort to immobilize them. After a second, it completely exploded and destroyed all the Geth. Sid holstered her other pistol and used her left hand to help Kaidan up.

"Don't ask," she advised when she noticed the confusion.

Kaidan looked around at the dead Geth. "I wasn't going to…thanks, by the way."

Sid shrugged. "Don't mention it. I would recommend you carry on with the bomb, though."

"Good idea," Kaidan agreed and returned to the bomb, his omni-tool at the ready.

Geth continued to file into the area and Sid took up position in front of Kaidan to protect him, firing both guns at the various Geth but they were coming in quicker than she could kill them. To try to give her an edge, she threw a smoke ball at a larger group and then she slid her shield disruptor towards another group, opening fire into the second group. Once the last one fell, she used the opening to retrieve the disruptor just as the smoke started to clear. While firing, she started to walk sideways to return to her earlier position and she grimaced when her shields started to take a few hits. There was little cover but she couldn't leave Kaidan out in the open by himself.

A large gate suddenly opened and Jo rushed forward with Garrus and Wrex close behind. Once they took care of a few Geth, they looked up and actually paused in surprise. Jo looked a bit relieved and then confused. As far as they knew, Sid was still on board the _Normandy_. Just as things started to go in their favour, Sid was suddenly knocked off her feet by a powerful biotic blast that also hit Kaidan and the bomb's primer scattered out of his hands. The next few moments passed in a blur and when Sid looked up, she found a Turian marching off with a purpose in the complete opposite direction, presumably after Jo. So…this was Saren. Trying to avoid a cliché, she couldn't help but think she was expecting someone taller.

"I applaud you, Shepard," Saren called out though Sid wasn't paying much attention. "My geth were utterly convinced the Salarians were the real threat. An impressive diversion. Of course, it was all for nothing. I can't let you disrupt what I have accomplished here. You can't possibly understand what's really at stake."

Sid quickly scrambled to her feet – which wasn't easy given the large amount of water – and she headed over to Kaidan. He was conscious and desperately searching for the primer. Rather than help him look, she grabbed his wrist and activated his omni-tool. As he watched in confusion, she typed in a few commands. There was no way of knowing where the primer had disappeared off to and the water could have washed it away where they would never find it. They didn't have the time to search aimlessly. While she typed, ignoring the lieutenant's confusion, Jo was trying to buy them some time by stalling and distracting Saren.

"Help me understand it," Jo replied loudly. "Why are you doing this?"

"You've seen the visions from the Beacon, Shepard," Saren explained confidently. "You, of all people, should understand what the Reapers are capable of. They cannot be stopped. Do not mire yourself in pointless revolt. Do not sacrifice everything for the sake of petty freedoms. The Protheans tried to fight and they were utterly destroyed. Trillions dead. But what if they had bowed before the invaders? Would the Protheans still exist? Is submission not preferable to extinction?"

"It can't be that simple," Jo argued. "Do you really think they will let us live? Maybe some Protheans bowed down to the Reapers and they were killed, just like the rest."

"Now you see why I never came forward with this to the Council," Saren continued. "We organics are driven by emotion instead of logic. We will fight even when we know we cannot win."

Sid shook her head. Jo really knew how to create a distraction and stall. Saren continued to ramble on in his lunacy and Sid blocked him out to finish the most important commands. In the back of her mind, she registered that Saren had mentioned "destruction" and "salvation" in the same sentence in much the same way that Tiro had. She filed that away for later. As the conversation between Saren and Jo started to run out, Sid finished typing the last few commands which allowed Kaidan's omni-tool to pick up the primer's signal, cloning it thus allowing him to use his omni-tool to continue preparing the bomb.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

Sid tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm going to stop lying to myself."

He frowned at her answer. Before he could say anything more, she turned around and started to run towards Saren, activating her cloak as she did so. Saren's attention was solely fixed on Jo whose bullets ricocheted off of his shields harmlessly. These shields were designed to redirect bullets and were pretty powerful but they were useless against melee attacks. As soon as she was close enough, Sid pounced on Saren's back just as the cloaking ended and wrapped her legs around his waist so he couldn't throw her off. It was hard to tell who was more surprised: Saren or Jo. Sid didn't expect to last long and Saren was definitely putting up a fight as she struggled to keep her hold around his neck. After a few minutes, Saren grabbed her by the hardsuit, close to her shoulder, and slammed her into the floor with a lot of anger. Hard. A small gasp of pain escaped her lips. He was far stronger than he should have been.

Saren smirked savagely as he pointed his gun at Sid's head. Absently, she heard Jo shout her name. Much to the Turian's surprise, Sid returned the smile. He faltered for a second and then electricity started to arc through his belt, destroying the shield generators and hitting his exposed skin on occasion. She had planted her small electrical devices onto his belt. She never expected to actually do any damage but she could get his shields down to give Jo the opening. Saren staggered as the generators blew. Sid kicked him in the stomach to give her a chance to get out of the way and then she struggled onto her feet, leaning heavily against a nearby crate that would give her cover.

Sid tried to catch her breath but it hurt. Saren was stronger than he looked and her back was throbbing. It was hard to breathe. She protectively clutched her right hand against her chest as it was starting to hurt again. Jo and the others had opened fire on Saren but he was a coward and had returned to his sled or whatever the hell he was riding to give him an edge. The following minutes passed in a blur as she focused on breathing. Then she heard Jo call her name and she forced herself to stand and started to make her way towards them. Saren had fled and Jo was breathless. Kaidan had also been injured and he clutched his side. Realising she wasn't doing too good either, Garrus rushed forward and slung her over his shoulder in a similar fashion to what Jo had done to Kaidan just as the _Normandy_ came in for pickup.

* * *

><p>The atmosphere on the <em>Normandy<em> was solemn. The entire crew had accepted that they might lose someone in the course of this mission but after everything they had accomplished, they had dared to hope that they would all come out of this alive. Unfortunately, fate can be a cruel mistress and Ash had died on Virmire. At least her death hadn't been in vain. The pieces were falling into place as they now knew that the Conduit was on Ilos and Saren had been searching for the Mu Relay which he had learnt the location of through the Rachni Queen. They had orders to return to the Citadel and that was what they were doing. It was going to be a long trip.

Dr Chakwas had taken time to examine Shepard, Kaidan and Sid's injuries. She was not impressed to have them all in the Medical Bay at the same time but she accepted that it came with being an Alliance soldier. Shepard's injuries had been minor. Her neck was slightly bruised from Saren attempting to strangle her and she now realised how painful it must have been for Sid going against Tiro. It still hurt to use her neck. Kaidan's side was bruised and he had cracked a rib or two. Sid's injured hand was even worse and her back had been hurt. After a long lecture for Sid and Dr Chakwas' skill as a doctor, they would all live to fight another day and would be fit for duty by the time they returned to the Citadel.

Shepard couldn't sleep. She kept replaying the mission over in her mind, trying to see if there was some way that she could have saved Kaidan and Ash. A part of her also knew that Kaidan's escape with minimal injuries was thanks to Sid. After Ash's death, Shepard no longer wanted to fight with Sid after everything she did on Virmire. She had proved herself to be trustworthy and the entire crew knew that now. Shepard didn't want to keep the walls around her heart up any longer either but she only realised this when Kaidan joined her in the Mess Hall, taking the seat opposite her. It was late, well past midnight, and no one seemed able to get any sleep. It wasn't long until Liara, Tali, Wrex and Garrus soon joined her.

Sid was the last one to enter and she hesitantly took a seat, not entirely sure if she was welcome. When no one objected, she settled into her chair and looked around the table. Shepard had no idea what her sister was thinking. There was a lot she didn't know about her sister and she realised that there might not be enough time to learn everything she wanted to know but she just couldn't bring herself to ask anything. She couldn't even bring herself to talk or break the silence. The ship was too empty without Ash and no matter what they did or what they accomplished, they would always be missing a crew member. And it was her fault, no matter what she told the others.

It had been Shepard's decision to leave Ashley and save Kaidan. It her mind, she was convinced it was a tactical decision: secure the bomb and make sure it went off to destroy the facility. Those were the mission parameters. In her heart, she couldn't help but wonder if the real reason she chose Kaidan was because of her strong feelings for him…the feelings that she was willing to deny even existed. Perhaps she owed it to Ash to stop living in denial. There was more to life than the mission and if there was one thing she had learnt from the Chief, it was the importance of family.

"Thank you, Sid," Kaidan said quietly.

Sid smiled slightly and nodded her head once. "You're welcome, Kaidan."

A thought suddenly occurred to Shepard. Sid was supposed to be on the _Normandy_ for the duration of the Virmire mission with Tali and Liara. And there were a lot of weird things that had happened during the mission that she didn't know what to think of but now she suspected that Sid had something to do with it, such as the small things that Kirrahe had mentioned over the radio and the large explosion that levelled a portion of the facility just after she talked with Sovereign.

"What were you doing on Virmire?" she asked in a tone of voice that made it obvious she was not looking for a fight.

Sid cast her gaze downwards. "I was…leaving," she said simply.

Shepard couldn't contain her shock. "What?"

"I told you I was done trying," Sid answered with a shrug and then winced. Her back must have still been sore. "I figured it would be best for everyone here if I left as soon as possible. I even found a ship that would get me far from the blast."

"What changed?" Shepard asked. "I mean, you're obviously still here."

"I heard the communications and decided to help Kaidan. I set the ship to self-destruct so the other ships were destroyed and none of the…clones or whatever they were could get off Virmire."

"I have to say, Sid," Garrus suddenly said. "You were the last person I expected to engage Saren in hand-to-hand combat."

"It was more like back-to-floor combat," she quipped with a small smile and then she sobered. "I realised a few things before I blew up another ship."

"What's that?" Shepard asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I've been fooling myself. I tried to believe that I was non-violent to try to make me feel better; trick myself into believing that I was better than the other smugglers, pirates and the like but I'm not, on both counts. I'm almost as violent as you are and I've killed a lot of things since joining up with you without hesitation. And maybe you were right. Maybe the Chief was right. Maybe I'm not trustworthy. Maybe I deserve to go to prison." She snorted then and shook her head. "None of this matters now though."

Everyone had been surprised by Sid's words. It was completely different to how she usually behaved and it was quite the grim self-assessment. Despite this change in outlook, she was still attempting to respect Ashley's memory and give them time to mourn her even though the pair never saw eye to eye. Silence returned to the Mess Hall and stretched on for a while when Shepard decided she needed to say something.

"Ash died a soldier's death, protecting her friends and doing what she believed in," she said quietly. "I know it's hard now but she wouldn't want us to grieve. She'd want us to kick some Turian ass."

They all smiled at that and raised their various mugs in a toast. "To Ash."

They spent a while talking about her and what they would miss the most about her: her stubbornness, the rare quality of always speaking her mind and being straightforward, her love for guns and finally the amazing work she did maintaining everyone's gear. Her views on aliens had also started to gradually shift and she was not so hostile towards members of her own crew. Her willingness to work with the Salarians was proof of this. One by one, the others left to catch some sleep. Soon, it was only Sid and Kaidan that kept her company.

"What do you think will happen when we reach the Citadel?" Kaidan suddenly asked.

Shepard shook her head. "I honestly don't know. The Council are willing to believe us that Saren and the Geth are a major threat. They aren't keen to take us on our word about the Reapers though."

"Can you blame them?" Sid asked. "It's human nature to want to believe everything is all right and that there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The Councillors may be alien but they're human too…to a point."

Shepard and Kaidan looked at her in concern.

"When did you become such a pessimist?" Shepard asked.

Sid smiled. "It's just a phase. It'll pass. Besides, the death of a crew member has a way of putting things in perspective and it's not necessarily a happy perspective. On another topic, I believe that the husks and the Dragon's Teeth might be of Reaper origin, not Geth technology."

Kaidan leant forward in his chair. "Why do you think that?"

"When I was stuck on _The Machine_ with Tiro, after the airlock closed behind you, he shouted something odd. He said that 'they are our salvation through destruction'. At the time, I just chalked it up to him being buckets of crazy," she explained.

"Hang on," Shepard interrupted. "Saren said something similar."

Sid nodded. "After seeing Matriarch Benezia and the research files, I believe that Tiro was indoctrinated. There was only one thing on _The Machine_ that could have done that: the Dragon's Teeth."

"It makes sense," Shepard slowly agreed. "I'm starting to think that Saren is slowly being indoctrinated and he is powerless to stop it hence the research facility."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Sid said and leant back into her chair. "You didn't happen to piss off Sovereign while you were there?"

Shepard was confused by the sudden change of conversation. "Wrex, Garrus and I had a chat with him when he found the final Prothean Beacon. He decided to end our conversation by destroying windows everywhere."

"I caught that last bit," Sid said by way of explaining how she knew. "My omni-tool picked up the signal and copied it."

That was intriguing.

"Can we present it to the Council as proof of the Reaper threat?" Kaidan asked.

"I doubt it," Sid said and her shoulders slumped a bit. "I was examining it before I came here. I know it came from Sovereign so I know it's a Reaper signal."

"But the Council refuses to acknowledge the existence of the Reapers so they will decide it is of Geth origin," Kaidan finished.

"Yep. And because no one has encountered Geth outside the Veil and Tali said it's pretty impossible to recover any information from them, we can't dispute it."

Shepard sighed and rubbed her face tiredly. "So, we're back to square one as far as the Reapers are concerned."

"In times like these, I wonder if the Terminus System doesn't have the right idea in terms of politics," Sid commented.

Shepard and Kaidan chuckled. The Terminus System's version of politics involved killing the person in charge and fighting until you became the new leader, assuming you had the army and connections to back your play.

Sid got to her feet and started to leave before she turned back to look at Shepard. "Just for the record, Chief Williams' death was not your fault. I have experience knowing when a person is at fault for something going horribly wrong. This is not one of those times." With that, she left the Mess Hall.

Shepard watched Sid leave in surprise. It hadn't been all that long ago that they were giving each other the silent treatment because they were so furious at each other. Now Sid was trying to make her feel better. It was an odd turn of events, to say in the least. She never thought she'd say this but she was starting to miss the old Sid. Although she realised something. She and Sid were all right now…more all right than they had been for a long time. For the first time, perhaps. Shepard and Kaidan remained in the Mess Hall, enjoying each other's company and they didn't feel the need to speak. Out of the entire crew, they were the closest with Ash and they felt her death painfully. Saren would pay for what he did. For Ash, for Eden Prime…for everything.

* * *

><p>The cockpit was silent, aside from the rhythmic beeping of the consoles. Returning to Citadel Space required little talent and Joker was free to let his mind wander. No one could have predicted what had happened on Virmire. Anything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. The Commander had been forced to make a difficult decision and Joker knew that had he been in her place, he would not have been able to make it. They would have lost someone either way and while he would miss Ashley, he was glad that the Commander made the decision she did because it meant they would have only lost one crew member and not two. He was also closer with Kaidan than he had been with Ashley.<p>

Someone cleared their throat softly behind him and he looked over his shoulder. Much to his surprise, Sid was standing there. She looked surprisingly serious and a bit out of her element. Her presence came as a surprise because Joker hadn't seen her in a while. He knew why because he'd heard the argument and he'd listened to the conversation that she'd had with the others while they were remembering Ashley. He had expected her to return to wherever she had been spending her time lately.

"Is this seat taken?" Sid asked quietly and indicated the empty co-pilot's chair that she spent a lot of time in.

At first, he didn't know how to respond or how to react to her tone of voice. "No."

Taking that as an invitation, she sat down and was silent for a few moments. "I…owe you an apology, Joker."

Joker looked at her in surprise. "What for?"

"My behaviour," she answered and her eyes were focused on the console in front of her. "I've never been very good at relationships. Computers make more sense to me than people so when I realised I was getting close to you…I ran."

Joker was surprised and confused. He didn't know how to react to this. He had recognised that he had chemistry with Sid but he didn't think she'd noticed it too. She hadn't said anything about it and sometimes he had wondered if he was only imagining it. But her words hinted at something more than she was saying and it explained a lot of what had happened recently.

"I'm sorry," she finally looked up and apologised. "It wasn't fair to you."

Joker smiled. "There's nothing to apologise for, Sid."

Sid returned his smile and finally relaxed. "Thank you."

They descended into a familiar conversation involving jokes, just like they had spent many hours before.

**Hello, loyal readers. First off, thank you for reading my story and I hope you enjoyed it. I had originally planned on having Shepard save Ashley and Sid save Kaidan but I hadn't sorted out how Ash would fit in in the story especially when we get to the **_**Mass Effect 2**_** and **_**3**_** stages. Kaidan's role is fairly obvious so I changed my mind and decided to only save Kaidan. Ashley's death is also a push for Shepard in many ways so I figure it's important to the storyline. Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Returning to the Citadel did not feel like how Sid had imagined. In the past, the Citadel usually represented a place to find more work when the Terminus System was particularly angry with her. Work from the Citadel usually paid better too. On some occasions, it would be a place to relax and maybe stay for a couple of days, pretending to be a normal tourist with shopping and sightseeing while avoiding some of the more unscrupulous characters on the station…mostly politicians. It was also a great place to find some upgrades or repairs for her ship. Competition between stores was obvious and it had been easy to use this against them to get the best upgrades for the cheapest prices. During these instances, the Citadel was a welcome sight on the ship's navigation computers.

Now, however, was a completely different story. Sid couldn't help the bubble of doubt and trepidation that formed in the pit of her stomach. In her mind, there were two possible outcomes to this trip. Jo might have gotten tired of Sid and her stunt on Virmire could have sealed the deal. There was a possibility that Jo was about to hand her over to C-Sec and tell the Executor that Sid had failed to meet the requirements of their deal and thus she should be sent to prison. Oh, and by the way, the crew could all testify as witnesses to the fact that she really was Ghost and it was about time she was arrested for it. It was an unlikely outcome…still, she had to consider it.

The second outcome was perhaps the more terrifying one. It would mean that Jo had fully accepted Sid as a member of the _Normandy_'s crew and she would see this mission through to the end. Not only was it scary that Sid would be pleased by this fact but she also knew this was a suicide mission. No one had said it out loud and Jo hadn't even admitted it. The dark expressions since Chief Williams' death had pointed this out especially now that everyone realised the _Normandy_ and her crew were not invincible. Saren planned on going to Ilos through the Mu Relay to jumpstart a Reaper invasion…Sid liked to take challenges and had experienced quite a few near death experiences but none of them could be classified as "suicide missions". She had spent her entire life – well, that might be a slight exaggeration but it was near enough to the truth – fighting for survival and now she was willingly going along on a mission which may or may not result in her death. Awesome.

Jo led the way into the elevator that would take them into the C-Sec Academy. Her expression was determined and defiant. There was no way of knowing what the Council wanted to discuss although they had to admit that Saren was a threat. The Council was not exactly known for taking Jo's side so she was preparing herself to argue as much as possible while attempting to keep her emotions in check. The Council would not respond well to angry threats or a temper tantrum. Jo had chosen to wear her hardsuit with all of her weapons at the ready for some odd reason. Saren would be nuts to send more assassins after her and no one in their right minds would attempt to attack Humanity's first Spectre while on the Citadel. Then again, she was a soldier which meant she would feel naked without her weapons.

Kaidan was standing on the far side of the elevator with his shoulder leaning against the glass. His expression was reserved because he was still trying to deal with his survivor's guilt after Virmire while trying to stay focused on their current objectives. Sid guessed he was still reliving the entire mission and going over every decision he had made in an effort to figure out why he had survived while Chief Williams did not. Sid could sympathize. Her first few weeks on that Batarian smuggler's ship after the raid, she'd spent that time trying to determine why the smuggler had chosen to spare her life even as hundreds, if not thousands, of other people continued to perish around them.

Kaidan had followed Jo's lead and he was also wearing his hardsuit with his weapons ready for action. Why did he even bother bringing his pistol? It's not like anyone could actually completely disarm a biotic. This was probably Jo's line of thinking when she had decided to bring him along. He also had a good grasp of politics and was the likeliest person to keep a level head. Sid had chosen to dress in her casual clothes for a couple of reasons. She didn't want to attract any attention from C-Sec in case the officers who were involved in her arrest at Chora's Den caught sight of her. That would be fun to explain.

It had also been her experience that people in general were more willing to let their guard down if it didn't look like you were expecting anything to go wrong. In the case of politicians, they were more open to discussion if you didn't look like you were there to challenge or intimidate them…and three people armoured and armed to the teeth could be very intimidating. Humanity also had a reputation of being an aggressive race, apparently. Liara had pointed this out recently, much to Sid's surprise. Sid wasn't an idiot though. She was wearing her belt that served the triple purpose of holding her functioning inventions in its various pouches, securing her single pistol on her left hip and emitting her shields. She had also decided to bring along her single unmodified combat knife.

The elevator continued to descend at its leisurely pace. Either the elevator shafts were much taller than anyone realised or the elevators had somehow mastered the art of taking their time. Sid was feeling restless enough as things stood and the elevator was just drawing out the inevitable. Eventually, it came to a stop and the doors opened. At the sight of the various C-Sec officers walking about, Sid's shoulders tensed involuntarily. She knew that Jo was not about to hand her over but a part of her couldn't stop asking "Are you sure? Is this Alliance soldier prepared to lose everything because of you, a petty smuggler? Can you trust her? _What if…_"

Jo placed a hand on Sid's shoulder. "Relax. C-Sec isn't going to arrest you again."

She must have misread the reason behind Sid's tension yet her words were still comforting. She pretty much just quelled Sid's fears. There was no reason to doubt Commander Jo Shepard. Since Virmire, Sid had realised that their relationship was finally all right although she couldn't place her finger on the reason why or explain how it had happened. Perhaps Chief Williams' death made them realise life was too short for petty grudges. Or maybe it was because Sid had chosen to help Kaidan even though she had the opportunity to leave. She had helped save the life of the man Jo deeply cared about and made sure the bomb went off. Hell, she even jumped Saren. That had to earn her a few points.

Sid smiled and nodded as a way to say she was fine and that they should keep moving. There was little conversation as Jo led the way through the Presidium towards the Council Tower. The elevator ride towards the Council Chambers felt even longer although Sid was pretty sure it was just her imagination. Jo still looked determined though there was a bit of hesitation.

"Can I offer some free advice?" Sid asked.

Jo gave her a sideways glance and then sighed. "Why not?"

"You want to earn a few points with the Council. If not for now then definitely for further down the line. So…don't insult them, don't threaten them and don't yell at them," Sid suggested.

Jo snorted softly in amusement. "I already knew that. This free advice worth what I paid for it?"

Sid smiled. "Well…watch your posture and don't fold your arms. They'll take that as a challenge. Try to avoid staring them in the eyes. That's a challenge too but maintain some eye contact otherwise you'll appear weak and vulnerable. Appearances are everything, after all."

"That's actually somewhat helpful," Jo acknowledged in surprise.

Sid shrugged, glad that she could do that without pain now. "I've done my fair share of negotiating with dangerous or unstable – and on a few occasions both – individuals to avoid getting killed or blown up. I figure this classifies as 'unstable'."

Jo and Kaidan both chuckled in amusement. They also looked to be relieved to have Sid back to her regular self and no longer a grim pessimist. Her self-assessment was still lingering in the back of her mind. Given the current circumstances, her identity crisis would wait and perhaps this mission could help her figure out what kind of person she really was and not the kind of person she thought she was…although she was pretty sure she wasn't non-violent. The elevator finally arrived and once the doors opened, they could hear voices from up ahead. Apparently, the Council had started without Jo. Typical.

* * *

><p>Shepard shared a look with Sid and Kaidan to make sure they were ready for what they were about to face. When they both nodded and smiled in support, Shepard took a breath and squared her shoulders before walking forward with a purpose. This meeting needed to go well. The Council needed to accept that Saren wasn't the only threat and that the Reapers were real. They needed to accept that the Citadel – and the galaxy – was in danger. As they approached, Shepard took in the room with a quick glance. The Councillors were standing at their usual podiums and Ambassador Udina was standing in front of them. There was no sign of Captain Anderson. Shepard frowned. He should be here. Keeping Sid's advice in mind, Shepard stood at ease and clasped her hands behind her back.<p>

"Good job, Shepard," Udina praised, surprisingly enough. "Thanks to you, the Council's finally taking real action against Saren."

Shepard glanced in Udina's direction in confusion. He was particularly smug about something and it made her uneasy. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed Sid was watching the ambassador closely. And where did the Reapers fit into all of this? Surely, the Council had something planned for them?

The Asari Councillor smiled politely. "The ambassador is correct. If Saren is foolish enough to attack the Citadel, as you believe, we will be ready for him."

"Patrols are stationed at every mass relay linking Citadel space to the Terminus systems," the Turian Councillor continued.

An uneasy feeling settled in Shepard's stomach. She finally had the Council on board with Saren and had finally convinced them to do something…yet it wouldn't be enough, not with Sovereign and an entire Geth army.

"A blockade won't be able to stop him," she reasoned and tried to keep her anger in check. "Saren is going to Ilos to look for the Conduit. He could be there right now. What are you going to do about it?"

"Ilos is only accessible through the Mu Relay, deep inside the Terminus Systems, Commander," the Salarian Councillor pointed out condescendingly. "If we send a fleet in there, the only possible outcome is full-scale war."

Shepard resisted the urge to start screaming and shouting profanities directed at the Council. Despite everything they had achieved, the Council still wasn't prepared to take them or their warnings seriously. Did they know what the Conduit was? No but the fact that Saren believed it could help the Reapers meant it was a serious threat…why couldn't the Council see that?

Udina turned to look at Shepard and there was some annoyance in his eyes, almost like he was saying: _Don't mess this up for me_. "Now is the time for discretion, Commander. Saren's greatest weapon was secrecy. Exposed, he is no longer a threat. This is over." Translation: _Your part in this is over._

Shepard was struggling to keep control over her anger. "Saren isn't the real threat. Sovereign is! Saren is just a servant to him. What are you planning to do about the Reapers?"

"Only you have seen the Reapers," the Asari Councillor answered calmly. "And then only in visions. We won't invade the Terminus Systems because you had a bad dream."

The Councillor did have a point and under any other circumstances, Shepard would have agreed with her but right now, the fate of the galaxy rested on her ability to convince the Council that the Reapers did exist. Shepard did not make a habit of spinning wild stories and she wasn't about to start now. She had been right about Saren, even though they didn't believe her. The Reapers were not a figment of her imagination.

"Saren's greatest weapon isn't secrecy," Shepard argued and willed them to believe her. "The Conduit is!"

The Salarian Councillor was not impressed. "Saren is a master manipulator. The Conduit is just a distraction from his real plan to attack the Citadel."

No it wasn't! Saren might have been good at manipulating people but he was desperate enough to send Matriarch Benezia to get the coordinates of the Mu Relay from the Rachni Queen. He was doing everything he could to stop the _Normandy_ from finding the Conduit. No one was that good at manipulating people. Saren really was searching for the Conduit because he really needed it. Shepard started grasping at straws. It was obvious that the Council would not change their minds.

"Then send me after Saren," she suggested in what she hoped was a calm and persuasive voice. "Sending one ship into the Terminus Systems will not start a war and the patrols won't suffer. I can be discreet."

"You detonated a nuclear device on Virmire," the Turian Councillor pointed out angrily. "I wouldn't call that discreet!"

The Councillors weren't on Virmire. Detonating the nuke was the only way to stop Saren and destroy the base. Ash had given her life for them because the Council couldn't clean up the signal to find out what the Salarian team had uncovered. That was on the Council, not Shepard. She had done what she could with what she had. It was easy for the Council to nit-pick from behind a desk while she was out risking her life for them.

"Your style served you well in the Traverse, Commander," the Asari Councillor interjected diplomatically. "We recognise that. But Ilos requires a deft touch. We have the situation under control."

"With all due respect, Councillors, you do not have the situation under control," Shepard argued in an even tone. "If Saren manages to find the Conduit, we're all screwed. We need to get to Ilos and stop him."

"Ambassador Udina, I get the sense that Commander Shepard isn't prepared to let this go," the Turian Councillor said in a tone that hinted that they had guessed this would happen and they already had a plan in place. Shepard suddenly had a sinking feeling.

"There are serious political implications here, Shepard," Udina explained irritably. "Humanity's made great gains thanks to you. But now you're becoming more trouble than you're worth."

It took a moment for Shepard to realise what he was getting at and it struck her speechless. It was well known that Udina was ambitious and power hungry but she still couldn't believe he was stabbing her in the back when they needed to stand together. Why was he so short-sighted?

Kaidan had no problem thinking up a response. "You bastard! You're selling us out!"

Sid was being suspiciously quiet on the subject.

Udina ignored Kaidan and approached the Councillors. "It's just politics, Commander. You've done your job, now let me do mine. We've locked out the _Normandy_'s primary systems. Until further notice, you're grounded."

Sid muttered something under her breath that sounded like a Batarian curse while Kaidan grunted in anger. This didn't make any sense. Why would it matter so much if one ship went to investigate Ilos? And if they were so prepared for Saren's attack on the Citadel, wouldn't it make more sense to have the Alliance's most advanced ship ready?

Shepard clenched her right hand into a fist but she was able to resist the urge to punch Udina in the face. "Are you insane? After everything I've done, you still refuse to believe me? One of my crew members gave her life for this mission!"

Udina didn't seem to care and he looked over his shoulder at her in annoyance. "I think it's time for you and your team to leave, Commander. This no longer concerns you. The Council can handle this. With my help, of course."

Shepard angrily turned around and led Sid and Kaidan back to the elevator. They were all angry and frustrated. They needed to do something…anything.

"Sid, can you hack into the system and get the _Normandy_ back into business?" Shepard asked.

Sid brought up her omni-tool and started typing away. "Sorry, Jo. The order came directly from Udina's terminal. As an ambassador, he has some pretty serious security measures. I could try to hack into the system remotely but there's a pretty good chance it'll detect the intrusion and lock me out completely. Then we'll be grounded _and_ in trouble for attempting to hack into an ambassador's terminal…although, if I was in his office, that would be another matter entirely. Of course, there will be a very small window for the _Normandy_ to take off before the system corrects itself. The Citadel does have very advanced programming."

Shepard shook her head. "It's too risky. We'll have to figure out another way. And we're already short one crew member; I don't want to be short of two."

"I can't believe Udina sold us out like that," Kaidan commented angrily.

"I always knew he was ambitious but I never thought he would be capable of doing this," Shepard agreed.

"That man sure knows how to put the 'ass' into 'amb_ass_ador'," Sid added dryly.

"What do we do now, Shepard?" Kaidan asked.

Shepard sighed softly. "I don't know. We need to get to Ilos, preferably without getting Sid arrested. We have to stop Saren and find the Conduit. But…I have no idea how. I need to think."

They returned to the _Normandy_ in silence, mostly because they had no idea what to say and Shepard was desperately trying to figure out some way to Ilos. She refused to give up and she refused to let this mission fail.

* * *

><p>It had been an hour or so since the disastrous Council meeting. Word had quickly spread that the <em>Normandy<em> had been grounded and the Council had forbidden them from going after Saren. The entire crew felt like their mission had failed, especially when it became clear that Jo had no idea how to move forward. Quite a few of the crew members had left to drown their sorrows in alcohol at Chora's Den or in food at some of the Citadel's restaurants. The _Normandy_ was as empty as Sid had ever seen it. She couldn't blame the crew for giving up. They were so close to catching up with Saren and then politics had to get involved.

Sid was sitting beside Joker in the cockpit. She wasn't surprised to learn that the helmsman refused to leave. He had complete faith in Jo and figured she would come up with a plan sooner or later. He also would not leave the _Normandy_, grounded or not. They had spent some time trying to come up with ways to help Jo but when they kept coming up empty, they descended into silence. This mission was not going the way they had imagined it would go. It was disappointing as well as frustrating. Sid had promised herself that she would make Udina's life hell for this. A few ideas had already formed when she realised something.

"I'm worried about Jo," she said quietly.

Joker had been deep in thought and he looked at her curiously. "Why? The Commander will figure something out."

"She has very high expectations, especially for herself. Nothing short of perfect will do," Sid explained. "On the rare occasion that she failed to meet those expectations…well, she doesn't handle failure very well."

Joker's expression changed like he didn't quite know what Sid expected him to do with this information. Sid gave him a knowing look. Some members of the crew knew that Joker enjoyed spending his free time by spying on his crew mates. He was also known to eavesdrop on certain conversations and Jo was willing to let that slide, as long as he agreed not to repeat anything he "overheard". After a few minutes passed of them staring at each other – Joker attempting to look innocent while Sid continued to give him her knowing look – the helmsman sighed in defeat.

"The Commander won't appreciate this," he commented as he started to look for the relevant monitors.

Sid shrugged. "Only if she finds out. Besides, we're looking out for her wellbeing. If we asked her straight up how she is, we'll get the unconvincing answer of 'I'm fine'. I'd rather not go down that route."

Joker did smile but otherwise did not respond. He brought up a screen of the Crew Deck and found Jo beating up her poor, defenceless locker in frustration. It was one of the first times that Sid had seen Jo being so open with her emotions…aside from their arguments in which case Sid was suddenly very glad that this particular behaviour was not directed at her. She also guessed that Jo would not do this unless she was sure her crew would not see her. Sid and Joker exchanged a glance. If Jo was still so frustrated then it was possible that she still had no idea of what to do which was not a good sign. The entire crew had come to depend on Commander Jo Shepard for her calm leadership and her tendency to never give up.

Joker and Sid were also not skilled in the pep talk department so they had no idea how to help. Their skills involved sarcasm and cracking jokes. These options would only make the situation worse and Jo may decide to direct her anger at them. There were just some occasions that jokes could not fix. Just when Sid was about to challenge Joker to a game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to figure out who should attempt to calm Jo down, Kaidan walked into the picture. Sid and Joker once again exchanged a glance, only this time they knew what they wanted to do. Jo and Kaidan had been dancing around each other and avoiding the subject for so long that Joker wanted to see what would happen. Sid, despite her own curiosity, wanted to give them some privacy.

They ended up fighting over the terminate button like a pair of children fighting over a much loved toy. It was all hands, mostly harmless slapping, as Joker tried to keep Sid away from closing the window while Sid kept trying to reach the button. Unfortunately, Joker had the advantage of being closer and thus he was putting up quite the defence. Unexpectedly, something beeped nearby and they froze. Sid's left arm was outstretched as she tried to reach the button with her right hand on the bill of Joker's cap in an effort to block his vision. Joker's right hand hovered protectively over the button and his left hand was against Sid's shoulder, trying to keep her from leaning too far forward and getting closer to the button.

In the moment of confusion, Joker started to look around for the source of the beep. Sid managed to close the window, just as Jo collapsed to the floor in exhaustion. Joker didn't notice as he had found the source of the beep and brought up another window. The unimpressed face of a man filled the screen. He had dark skin and very short black hair. This had been so unexpected and Joker had been caught off guard so he instinctively saluted while Sid leant away, trying to stay out of frame while still keeping an eye on what was going on.

"Captain Anderson," Joker greeted.

_::Joker. Is Commander Shepard still on board?::_

"Yes, sir," he answered and Sid was surprised by the formality. While he respected Jo, he rarely spoke to her like a Commanding Officer. "Do you want to talk to her?"

_::Yes but we need to talk face to face about getting the _Normandy_ to Ilos. Tell her to meet me at Flux.::_

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Captain Anderson terminated the call and Joker brought up the intercom controls. "Sorry to interrupt, Commander. Got a message from Captain Anderson."

There was a slight pause before Jo replied. _::Were you spying on us, Joker?::_

There was the slightest hint of embarrassment in her voice which led Sid to believe that Joker really had interrupted something. She and Joker shared a guilty look before he replied.

"No, ma'am. Just knew you were on the ship and figured I'd pass the message on." Sid knew that Jo wouldn't buy that excuse at all, especially considering he just referred to her as 'ma'am'. "The captain said to meet him at Flux. That club down in the Wards."

When Jo had no further reply, Joker turned off the intercom and they both sighed in relief. They weren't about to get into trouble and Kaidan had somehow managed to pull Jo out of her frustration. Hopefully, this Captain Anderson also had a plan of some sort. He definitely looked to be the take action type. Sid could only hope this turned out for the best.

* * *

><p>Shepard couldn't stop thinking about what had happened on the <em>Normandy<em>. She had been so frustrated and angry that she couldn't focus on finding a way to get off the Citadel. And then Kaidan came by. She was mildly surprised at first because she thought that she was alone. He had managed to get through to her and they came so close to kissing…and then Joker chose that moment to pass the message along. She didn't believe Joker's explanation at all so she wondered if he had done that on purpose. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about how close they had been standing or the way he had looked at her, like nothing and no one else existed.

This was not the time to dwell on it. Sid kept smirking at Shepard or Kaidan whenever they looked at her and it was a bit unsettling so they chose not to say anything about it. Shepard led the way towards Flux. It was an odd place for a meeting, especially with Captain Anderson. It was pretty much business as usual inside the club. The music was loud, the customers were drinking and the dance floor was busy. When Shepard looked over her shoulder, it was obvious that Sid was trying her hardest not to burst out laughing when she saw a Volus dancing. Shepard couldn't help but wonder what was up with her sister's obsession with the Volus. Regardless, she scanned the various tables until she spotted Anderson sitting alone. He beckoned them and they headed there immediately, each taking one of the empty chairs.

"I'm glad you came, Shepard," Anderson said. "I heard about what happened."

"They pulled me off the mission, just like when they forced you to give up command of the _Normandy_," Shepard said bitterly.

"I know. I'm sorry," Anderson replied earnestly. "I wanted to warn you but there was no way to get a message to you before you docked. I know you're pissed off right now (Sid chose this moment to mutter "understatement". They all ignored her) but you can't give up. They all think that this is over but we know it's not. You have to get to Ilos. You have to stop Saren from using the Conduit."

"That's easier said than done," Sid commented.

Shepard sighed. "Sid's right. There's only one ship that can get us into the Terminus Systems without being detected. Unfortunately, she's grounded at the moment and there's nothing we can do."

"Citadel control's locked out all of the _Normandy_'s systems. But if we override the ambassador's orders, we can get them to bring the _Normandy_ back online. You can be in the Terminus Systems before anyone knows you're gone," Anderson explained.

He made it sound so simple and Shepard wanted to believe they could pull this off but she wasn't so sure.

"If we steal the _Normandy_, you're the one who's going to get into trouble," she pointed out.

"And if Saren finds the Conduit, life as we know it is over. The Reapers will destroy us. Humans, Asari, everyone," Anderson argued. "You're the only one who can stop him, Shepard. So I'll do whatever it takes to get you onto the _Normandy_ and off this station."

Shepard nervously bit her bottom lip. This plan sounded completely insane and it was mutiny. Could she willingly drag her crew into this? Would they even follow her afterwards?

Anderson could tell what she was thinking. "Your crew will follow you to the ends of the galaxy. We both know that."

"Thank you, Captain. I owe you big time for this," she said with a small smile. "What's the plan?"

"Ambassador Udina issued the lockdown order. If I can hack into the computer in his office, maybe I can override it," Anderson explained.

"He's not going to let you waltz into his office and use his computer," Kaidan pointed out.

Anderson looked like he was about to answer but Sid beat him to it. "Leave that to me."

They all looked at her.

"How are you going to manage that?" Shepard asked.

Sid smiled. "I'll send him an email but I'll set it up so it looks like it came from the Asari Councillor, requesting a meeting. It's child's play. Besides, Udina's ego is big enough that he won't think twice about the email and he isn't tech savvy either. By the time he reaches the Councillor's office, he'll find out he was tricked. You'll have about ten or so minutes." Then she reached into one of her pouches and pulled out an OSD, sliding it across the table to Anderson. "There's a program on there. You insert it into the terminal and it'll auto-execute. It will hack in and give you unrestricted access. It will also erase any evidence of what you do."

Anderson picked up the OSD and looked to Shepard. She nodded once to let him know it was safe although she couldn't understand why Sid walked around with OSDs that could do the hacking for her.

"The Ambassador has made this personal," Anderson decided. "You ready to get the hell off this station, Commander?"

"Let's do it," Shepard agreed and they all got to their feet.

"I'll take care of the lockdown. You get down to the _Normandy_ and tell Joker to stand by," Anderson ordered.

They made their way to the docks. Sid had prepared the email and everything else she needed while they walked and Shepard had ordered the entire crew to return. Joker was beyond thrilled to pass along that order and she could understand exactly why. She was also relieved to know that Anderson believed her entirely (it made a nice change) and was even willing to risk committing treason for her. She just hoped he wouldn't be arrested for it. As soon as they returned to the _Normandy_, Sid sent the email to Udina and they huddled around Joker, waiting for the light to turn green. Sid had taken her customary seat on Joker's left while Kaidan had gone to put his gear away. The three of them continued to stare as the seconds dragged by. Suddenly, it went green.

"Get us out of here, Joker," Shepard ordered although she knew she didn't have to.

Joker just smirked. He didn't need to be told twice and he immediately focused on piloting. Sid took her role as co-pilot very seriously, apparently. She'd brought up a screen in front of her and was also using her omni-tool. It took Shepard a moment to realise that she was making sure no one was following them. Shepard remained where she was until they cleared the Citadel and it was clear that no one was coming after them. Sid deactivated her omni-tool.

"I think I've been a bad influence on you, Jojo," she remarked.

Shepard raised an eyebrow, ignoring her new nickname. "How do you figure that?"

Sid gave her a look. "You're kidding, right? You just stole an Alliance ship from Citadel space against the orders of an ambassador and the Council." She sniffed and gave Shepard a proud look. "They grow up so fast."

Joker snorted in amusement and Shepard had to smile. She didn't want to admit it but it felt pretty good to steal the ship from right under the Councils' noses, especially after everything they had put her through, but she wasn't planning on going on a crime spree. If there had been another way, then she would have gone with it. This was a last resort, nothing else.

"I'll be in my quarters. Let me know if anything changes or when we get close to Ilos," Shepard ordered.

"Aye, aye, Commander," Joker replied.

She headed towards her quarters and sat down in front of her computer terminal. There wasn't any work to do but she needed time to think and collect her thoughts. They had absolutely no idea of what was going to happen on Ilos, aside from blowing up a lot of Geth, and she needed a clear head if she was going to lead her crew through this. They were so close, thanks to Anderson. They couldn't fail now. She refused and she wouldn't let another crew member die. She was so involved in her thoughts that she didn't hear Kaidan enter her quarters until he said her name and Ilos suddenly seemed very far away.

**So…I decided to end it here because not only am I useless when it comes to romantic crap, I figure you've all played the game with some or other romantic interest and know what comes next. I'd rather not have to increase my rating either so I leave it up to you to fill in the blanks. I figure Sid also carries around OSDs like that for instances when she doesn't have time to hack or she needs someone to do it for her.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for the reviews, favourites and alerts.**


	21. Chapter 21

**I hope you all had a great Christmas and I wish you all the very best for 2013.**

**On the bright side, I was able to watch **_**Mass Effect: Paragon Lost**_** (apparently just because its animated doesn't mean there won't be a lot of blood) and noticed that the interior of the Mako is different to what I had imagined. I imagined the seats to be parallel which wouldn't give them a lot of space but as it turns out, the seats in back actually line the sides so they are perpendicular to the driver's seat (I hope that makes sense) so there would be enough space in the back for pretty much the entire ground squad.**

**I once again apologise for my lateness but I hope you enjoy this chapter. The last few hopefully won't take too long.**

**Chapter 21**

Sid was sitting beside Joker with her attention focused on her omni-tool. Joker also had his attention fixed on the consoles in front of him. There was still a chance that they would suffer the Council's wrath so he was keeping an eye out to make sure they weren't being followed even though it was unlikely. It was also pretty hard to guess what they would face when they hit the Mu Relay which meant Joker wanted to make sure all of the _Normandy_'s systems were running smoothly. Sid was attempting to do some research on Ilos to figure out what they may face while on the planet. Unfortunately, the extranet was proving useless in that regard. Anything she found, Liara had already told them or it was pure speculation.

She eventually sighed in defeat and deactivated her omni-tool. It was rare for her to come up empty and everyone on the _Normandy_ knew it. On the plus side, Captain Anderson had managed to avoid any trouble. Sid hadn't mentioned it at the time but she had also uploaded a VI that would erase any traces of the Captain from surveillance thus making it impossible to see who was behind the _Normandy_'s timely escape. Udina would obviously have his suspicions but he wouldn't be able to prove anything. This served the dual purpose of making Udina's life hell and helping one of Jo's friends. Jo trusted this man a lot and so Sid would help him because he helped her. Sid also guessed that Captain Anderson was the closest thing to a father figure.

"Why have you failed me?" she demanded of her omni-tool in frustration.

Joker snorted in amusement. "Don't have anything, huh?"

"For once, the introverted scientific recluse has more information than I do," Sid replied with a smirk.

Despite her cheery exterior, Sid was very restless and a bit nervous. They were nearing the end of the mission after weeks of chasing Saren around the galaxy. In a few hours, they will have succeeded in stopping Saren and the Reapers from invading or they will have failed and the entire galaxy was doomed because of them. On the plus side, it would be the biggest 'I told you so' ever for the Council. This did nothing to calm Sid's nerves. She knew that even the best plans could go awry at the last possible second and for this mission, there was a long list of things that could go wrong. At least unforeseen betrayals and not getting paid were not on the list. Unfortunately, getting killed was at the top of the list.

Sid tried to keep these thoughts away but a lot of experience in things going wrong wasn't letting her. In an effort to distract her mind, she brought up one of the navigation windows. They were nearing the Mu Relay which meant things were going to get very exciting very quickly and that Joker would need to send for Jo, as per her orders. A thought suddenly occurred to Sid. Kaidan had gone through the CIC towards Jo's quarters. Sid had noticed him out of the corner of her eye and she only took note of it because he was trying very hard not to attract any attention. It had been a while since then though. She vaguely wondered what they were doing and then she suddenly realised…maybe she really, _really_ didn't want to know.

"Sid?" Joker suddenly said.

She looked over at the helmsman and was quite surprised by the serious look on his face. It was almost like he was going to try to say something while he still had the courage to say it. Either he was going to confess his undying love for her or he was going to tell her that they should just be friends. Sid couldn't decide which one was more terrifying to her.

"Yeah?" she answered eloquently.

"I just wanted to say something, you know, just in case?"

The penny dropped and she realised exactly where this was going. It was one of those 'in case we all die' speeches and it was far too serious for her liking.

"Oh no," Sid interrupted, much to Joker's surprise. "No, no. We are so _not_ having one of those 'just in case the entire galaxy explodes' things. Let's just leave it at after everything is done, I'll buy you a drink and you can buy me dinner. Sound fair?"

Joker's look of surprise quickly turned to amusement. "Did you just ask yourself on a date for me?"

Sid was momentarily confused and then she realised exactly what she just said. "I guess I just did." _Well, that's a first._

"It sounds like a fair deal," he agreed, still too amused for Sid's liking. "So…the whole galaxy exploding?"

Sid shrugged. "It's a worst case scenario."

And just like that, it was comfortable once again. There was no awkwardness or embarrassment left hanging in the air or a sense of impending doom. Sid had no idea how that always happened between them or why it only happened with Joker. Nothing like that happened with Jo or any other member of the crew. Sid decided it was not an important matter to think about now. It wasn't long until the Mu Relay was almost upon them and Joker called Jo over the intercom system. Jo was soon standing behind their chairs, waiting. Sid immediately noticed that Jo looked a lot calmer and there was a glint in her eyes that wasn't there before…happiness, perhaps? This inspection was over in seconds and Sid quickly returned her attention to the consoles in front of her.

"How long until we reach the Relay?" Jo asked.

"Half an hour," Joker answered.

Jo was silent for a moment. "Tell the entire ground squad I want to meet them in the Mess Hall. We need to figure a few things out. Come on, Sid."

Without a word, Sid got to her feet and followed Jo towards the Mess Hall. They didn't say a word, mostly because there was nothing to say. There was too much hanging on this mission to waste time with meaningless words. One of the tables was empty so Sid took a seat near the end. Jo remained standing at the head of the table. Liara was first out of the Med Lab and took a seat opposite Sid. Kaidan was next and he came down the stairs that connected the deck to the CIC. When Sid noticed this, she smirked – much to Jo and Kaidan's slight discomfort. Tali, Garrus and Wrex arrived together on the elevator and silently took their own seats.

Jo took a deep breath. "So, here's the deal: we're about to pass through a Relay that may have been damaged to a planet that was originally thought lost to find a device that we don't know actually exists. Saren will try his hardest to stop us with his army of Geth and he will be trying to jumpstart a Reaper invasion. That's about all we know. There's a chance that we won't survive this mission therefore I can't order you to be a part of the ground team."

Sid knew exactly what this was all about and she also knew it was unnecessary to go fishing for their loyalty. Almost immediately, they all spoke up with various versions of "I'll follow you" or some such thing. Wrex had said his words and a silence stretched as they waited for Sid to say her own words, until Jo gave her a very pointed look and cleared her throat.

"What the hell?" Sid decided with a dramatic sigh. "It's not like I had anything better planned."

There was no doubt that she would go along on the mission if she was asked but her words had the desired effect when they all chuckled in amusement at her. The atmosphere was immediately lighter and it was suddenly easier to talk about the mission and what might happen. Just by seeing the look on Jo's face and the way her eyes lingered on Liara and Tali, Sid could tell she was trying to figure out who to take to Ilos and who should stay. This was made personal for the Alliance so it would make sense to take Kaidan, especially given his powerful biotics. Garrus was lethal with a sniper rifle while Wrex was pretty effective at close range which would give them an advantage as all distances would be covered. Sid guessed she was coming in case there was some technology involved. Tali and Liara would be effective but they were inexperienced and young.

Jo hesitated briefly before she said anything. "Tali and Liara, I want you to stay aboard the _Normandy_." They both started to protest but she raised her hand and silence followed. "There's no way to know what will happen. Tali, I want you to stay and work with Engineer Adams to make sure the systems run smoothly. Liara, I want you to work with Dr Chakwas…just in case."

Jo was handling the situation pretty smoothly. Rather than make it sound like Tali and Liara were unwanted, Jo had put them in a position where they would be needed, if things went wrong. It would be the best place for them because it would keep them out of danger and it would still give them the opportunity to do something worthwhile so they were still an important part of the crew. They wouldn't feel left out. No one could find a reasonable argument to counter these orders although Sid was quite surprised that Liara didn't pull the revenge card. It was Saren's fault that her mother was dead, after all.

"The rest of you, go grab your gear. We'll be passing through the Mu Relay shortly and I want you all ready," Jo ordered.

The table dispersed as everyone, aside from Jo, headed to the elevator. Liara had obviously chosen the support role to make sure she was there if anyone needed help. They were all quiet as they put on their hardsuits and holstered their weapons. Sid was just running a systems check on her omni-tool when she noticed Kaidan staring at Chief Williams' locker. The others had already walked off, trying to mentally prepare themselves for what was coming next. It was rare to see such open emotion on Kaidan's features. There was a mixture of pain and guilt. Normally, Sid was pretty useless at the whole comforting and friendship thing but she had come to regard the lieutenant as a big brother so she should at least try to help.

"Just because she's dead, it doesn't mean she's gone," Sid murmured softly.

Kaidan was brought out of his thoughts and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Chief Williams will live through those who remember her," she answered.

Judging from Kaidan's expression, her words had helped him a bit. Without waiting for a response, Sid started to walk towards the elevator to head back up to the cockpit. While she was waiting for the elevator, Liara's approach went unnoticed until she cleared her throat quietly. Sid looked up in surprise and noticed how nervous she was looking which was quite weird considering they had something bordering on friendship.

"Liara," Sid greeted unsurely.

"I…have a favour to ask of you," Liara replied and her hands started to fidget. "Perhaps now is not the best time. It does seem quite silly next to the mission."

Sid smiled. "What can I do for you?"

Liara looked relieved. "Ilos used to be a Prothean world and considering no one has been there in years, I'm hoping that the site has been well preserved and undisturbed. However, Commander Shepard has made it clear that I am to remain on board the _Normandy_."

"I'm not sure how much time I'll have between shooting geth and all," Sid answered, still smiling. "But I'll see what I can do. I might only be able to take photos with my omni-tool."

Liara's face immediately brightened. "Photos will be more than enough, Sid. Thank you!"

Sid half expected a hug but thankfully the elevator arrived at that moment. Liara and Tali got in with her and together, they made their way towards the cockpit. She decided to remain standing behind Joker's chair as the Mu Relay loomed closer. Joker was handling the situation calmly and it was pretty much like every other instance when they went through a mass relay. This was a good sign and Sid relaxed a bit. Thankfully, the _Normandy_ went through the relay without a problem though their luck didn't hold. The entire planet of Ilos was surrounded by Geth dropships and Dreadnoughts. For a moment, Sid panicked as she wondered if the stealth systems were engaged. Then she remembered: this was Joker. He would never let anything happen to his baby.

It was at this moment that Jo returned to the cockpit in her hardsuit with Navigator Pressly and Kaidan hot on her heels. The Executive Officer gave Sid a quick disapproving look. Apparently, Pressly still didn't approve of her presence. Absently, she also noted how close Kaidan and Jo were standing as well as how comfortable they looked, despite the tense situation. Everyone's attention was fixed on the large amount of Geth ships though so she was the only one who had noticed this. Between the _Normandy_'s stealth systems and Joker's skill as a pilot, the chances of them being spotted or even shot down were slim.

"Uh…Commander? We've got company," Joker announced unnecessarily.

"Have their sensors picked us up yet?" Liara asked nervously.

Sid raised an eyebrow. "If they had, we'd probably already be dead."

Her tone had been far calmer than it should have been, given the statement, and she received a glare from Jo in response. Sid shrugged in a "what do you expect?" manner. Ask a stupid question, get a stupid response.

Joker took over the answer though there was a hint of amusement in his tone. "Stealth systems are engaged. Unless we get close enough for a visual, they won't have any idea that we're here."

"We're picking up some strange readings from the planet's surface," Navigator Pressly told them from where he was hovering over one of the nearby consoles.

Jo was silent for a moment and just when Sid was about to ask what kind of readings had been detected, Jo had decided what she wanted to do. "Take us down, Joker. Lock in on those coordinates."

"Awesome. Going headfirst into 'strange readings'," Sid muttered under her breath.

Suddenly, an argument erupted between everyone on the cockpit, aside from herself and Joker. The argument was about the landing zone and how close it was to Saren and about how much time they had. Kaidan demanded another landing zone while Pressly argued that there was no other landing zone. Tali added her two cents about the angle and there were all sorts of things going on. One thing did make Sid nervous though: Jo planned on taking them in the Mako which did not sound like a good plan. She also looked towards Joker. He was uncharacteristically silent and when she looked at his face, she noticed annoyance and frustration. Just as Kaidan started talking about it being a suicide run, Joker cut him off.

"I can do it," he said in a determined voice which immediately silenced the argument.

"Are you sure?" Jo asked quietly.

"I can do it," Joker repeated with the same amount of determination.

Between the look of determination in his eyes, the even calm in his voice and his excellent record, Sid believed he really could do it. "I believe you can."

There was a moment of surprise. Everyone knew about Sid's paranoia and serious trust issues so for her to openly say something like this, they could all tell that she trusted Joker and actually meant what she had said.

Apparently, that was all the convincing Jo needed. "All right. Sid, Kaidan, head down to the Mako and get Garrus and Wrex inside too. I'll be along shortly."

Sid smiled reassuringly at Joker before following Kaidan. Apparently, he hadn't known that she was going with on the mission and there had been a moment of hesitation on his features, like he somehow doubted his earlier insistence if her life was now in his hands. If she hadn't been spending so much time with him, she probably wouldn't have noticed but it quickly disappeared and he then returned her smile. As soon as they were in the elevator, Sid did a last minute gear check. This was going to be one interesting adventure, to say in the least. On the bright side, she did have dinner with Joker to look forward to, assuming they survived.

* * *

><p>Ilos was swarming with geth though that wasn't surprising at all. Joker had kept his word and had managed to drop the Mako on top of Saren. The look on the rogue Spectre's face was priceless. Too bad they didn't have time to take a picture of it. They had spent a lot of time blindly stumbling around until they found the switch to open the large doors which Saren had retreated behind and locked. Shepard had ordered Sid and Garrus to guard the Mako while she took Kaidan and Wrex. With two biotics and a whole lot of firepower, the geth went down very easily. They were eventually able to find the switch and then they had to make their way back.<p>

Along the way, Shepard's mind drifted back to when she was still on the _Normandy _and it had nothing to do with what happened in her quarters, surprisingly enough. She ordered Joker to rally the Alliance as soon as the Mako was dropped. Every ship would be needed to defend the Citadel and not just from the geth. If the Council refused to do something about it, Admiral Hackett would be willing to help. Hopefully the rest of the Alliance would be just as willing to fight for a society that wasn't quite prepared to make them a part of it. Regardless, as Shepard turned to leave, Joker had asked her to look after Sid. He apparently did not approve of her going along for this mission and a part of her agreed with him.

There were so many dangers that they couldn't account for and Shepard did not want her little sister involved with them. But Sid knew how to look after herself. This was made very clear when she had attacked Saren on Virmire and even protected Kaidan. If they came across any unfamiliar technology, Sid could be the key especially if there was important information locked away on a computer terminal. Shepard had obviously promised to look after her but the sincerity of the request had caught her off guard. Just how serious were they getting? Probably not as serious as she was getting with Kaidan.

Shepard forced her thoughts away from her cabin in the time leading up to the Mu Relay and focused on the Mako ahead. Garrus was stationed on the top of the Mako with his sniper rifle clutched between his talons which gave him a good lookout point of the immediate area. There were a few dead geth lying around. Apparently, they had made an attempt at getting the Mako, most likely under Saren's orders and not their own initiative. A few had their heads blown clean off while others had been killed with a knife. Perhaps Sid could look after herself better than anyone realised and Shepard's promise to Joker was unnecessary. It was then that Shepard found Sid happily using her omni-tool to take photographs of the scenery and she was paying little attention to what was happening around her. Then again, maybe Sid did need some supervision. Wrex was pretty amused though.

"I didn't realise we were tourists," Shepard said in a stern voice.

Sid shrugged carelessly, completely ignoring the fact that she was in trouble. "I'm keeping a promise to Liara. Besides, Garrus has the whole early warning thing covered." She vaguely waved her hand in the direction of Garrus.

Garrus lithely dropped to the floor beside them. "It looks like the area is clear, Shepard. The tunnel too."

"Then let's go," she ordered. "There's no sense in giving Saren an even bigger head start."

They all quickly clambered into the Mako. Sid slid into the passenger seat and Shepard sat in the driver's seat. Garrus and Wrex were seated in the back while Kaidan had climbed into the turret. As it was an Alliance vehicle, there was no way that Wrex or Garrus would have been able to fit inside because it had not been made with aliens in mind. Sid also didn't have the training required to use the turret which only left Kaidan though he seemed quite happy to do it. As soon as everyone was buckled in, Shepard flattened her foot against the pedal and they sped off down a very tight tunnel. The tunnel was covered in hundreds of years of moss and algae. The walls were green and the ground was covered in plants until they hit some sort of waterway.

Shepard was tense and she gripped the steering wheel tightly so her knuckles turned white. There was no telling what Saren was capable of, especially now that he was so close to achieving his goal. Sovereign would also be pushing him forward so the rogue Spectre would either meet the Reaper's expectations or he would crumble under the pressure. Shepard sincerely hoped it was the latter – not because of her intense dislike for Saren but because it would undoubtedly save the lives of thousands, if not millions, of people. Saren also knew they were following him closely and it was likely that he would have taken precautions to stop them…even though they had yet to come across anything. It was hard to decide whether this was a good thing or not. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who noticed.

"I thought Saren would have set some kind of trap or ambush for us. They must have been in too much of a hurry," Kaidan remarked from the turret, sounding hopeful.

"It's also possible we just haven't come across his trap or ambush," Sid countered.

Shepard swerved to miss what looked like roots of a large plant. "You're a real ray of sunshine sometimes, Sid."

"And you're a barrel of laughs, Jojo," Sid argued with a smirk and then she leant forward in her chair to get a better look of their surroundings. "This looks like it might have been a city at some point. There are stairs and walkways everywhere. Anything from here must be worth a fortune."

Shepard tore her eyes away from the road just long enough to give Sid a look. "Seriously?"

Sid shrugged. "It's an observation. Note how I'm currently in the Mako on a suicide run instead of out there, counting credits."

"Fair point."

"Liara would have loved to see this," Garrus added.

Shepard didn't reply immediately. "I don't think she's particularly suited for combat. Besides, there wouldn't be much time for her to make any archaeological finds anyway."

"Hence the photographs," Sid explained, still peering through the window.

"What are all of those things on the wall?" Kaidan suddenly asked. "Some kind of containers?"

When Shepard was satisfied that the road ahead was straight, she leant forward and looked up at the walls. Long, cylindrical objects were protruding from the hard stone at regular intervals. The rows continued up beyond what she could clearly see and they were also covered in a layer of dust and moss. They looked like they were big enough to hold a person…but that was stupid.

"They almost look like…stasis pods," Sid said quietly, almost like she didn't quite believe it either.

"You think the Protheans tried to wait out the Reaper invasion in cryogenic stasis?" Garrus asked sceptically.

Wrex snorted in derision. "That plan clearly worked."

"I don't know about that, Wrex," Sid remarked thoughtfully and absently tapped a finger against her chin. "If this facility is still standing, then the Reapers obviously didn't find it."

"So…what?" Shepard asked in confusion. "We use stasis pods to evade the Reapers?"

"No," Sid answered patiently. "It means that the Reapers _can_ be fooled. Perhaps they aren't the perfect hunters the Prothean Cipher led us to believe."

Shepard sighed. "Well, let's leave the stasis pods as Plan Z."

Sid snorted in amusement. "Don't dismiss this so readily, Jo. Ilos and the stasis pods could provide logical insight into the hunting patterns of Reapers. This in turn might lead to finding things that could help us evade them…if they were to invade, of course."

"I do think that that is the smartest thing you have ever said," Shepard remarked with a grin.

Any retort that Sid might have lined up, it was cut off before she could say it. Kaidan had fired off a missile straight ahead and Shepard barely avoided a missile that was coming right for them. Apparently, they had finally stumbled upon Saren's geth. The Mako continued at its very quick pace while Kaidan continued to fire the turret. Those that he missed were quickly mowed down. It was pretty easy as the road continued in a straight line and just as there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel, Shepard realised it was a force field of some kind blocking the way forward. She slammed on breaks and the Mako skidded forward. Just as she prepared to reverse, another force field appeared behind the Mako. They were trapped with nowhere to go.

"It's a trap," Kaidan said, obviously caught off guard. "Saren must have set an ambush."

"Unlikely," Sid replied and she had her omni-tool activated. "These energy fields are not of Geth origin and it gives off an entirely different signature when compared with the data I have from Sovereign. Either this is another Reaper entirely or…"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You think it might be Prothean?"

Sid shrugged. "This is a Prothean planet so it would make sense that some of the technology still functions. I mean, the Beacons do."

"Then what activated it?" Garrus asked. "Saren obviously got through without a problem."

"That…I don't have an answer for," Sid replied.

"Is that a door?" Kaidan interjected from the turret.

Shepard leant forward over the steering wheel. Sure enough, there was an opening in the rock wall that looked like it led somewhere. "Let's go take a look. Hopefully we can deactivate these force fields and move forward."

Once again, they didn't know what they might face so Shepard decided to bring everyone with. The Mako was presumably safe because nothing would be able to get through those force fields. Shepard led the way down the corridor and was careful not to trip over any of the plants that were growing on the floor. The path led into an elevator and as soon as everyone was inside, she hit the button. It was impossible to tell whether they were going up or down. The entire planet had this disorientating effect. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that no one had walked its surface in a really long time.

When the elevator came to a stop and opened its doors, it revealed a long room. The walls were lined with more stasis pods. The ceiling continued far above them and the floor disappeared far below them. This area also did not escape the plants' notice as the walls were covered in moss and a huge tree had forced its way through a wall. A single walkway connected the elevator to a computer terminal of some sort. Shepard carefully approached the computer terminal, placing one foot in front of the other. The walkway was thousands of years old and she wanted to make sure it wouldn't crumble under their weight. After a few long minutes, they surrounded the terminal and looked at it curiously. Why had they been herded here?

Shepard was about to order Sid to investigate it when it suddenly powered up and started to project an image like most VIs were programmed to do; only this one must have taken some damage. The orange projection was a mess and it was impossible to make out any shape. This did not affect its programming though.

_::You are not Prothean. But you are not machine either. This eventuality was one of many that was anticipated. This is why we sent our warnings through the beacons.::_

Well, this was an unexpected outcome. Not only were they talking to a Prothean VI but it was also speaking English. And the beacons had been used to send out a warning? It probably would have been more effective if it hadn't nearly killed Shepard.

_::I do not sense the taint of indoctrination upon any of you. Unlike the other that passed recently. Perhaps there is still hope.::_

So, Shepard's guess had been correct. Saren really was indoctrinated and it was possible he didn't even realise it.

"Wait a minute," Kaidan interrupted and he was confused about something. "How come I can understand you? Why aren't you speaking the Prothean language?"

It was an excellent question, now that Shepard realised they could all understand the VI, unlike the other one which she hadn't even realised was speaking Prothean.

_::I have been monitoring your communications since you arrived at this facility. I have translated my output into a format you will comprehend. My name is Vigil. You are safe here, for the moment. But that is likely to change. Soon, nowhere will be safe. ::_

"Why did you bring us here?" Shepard asked with a frown.

_::You must break a cycle that has continued for millions of years.::_

"Oh, is that all?" Sid asked sarcastically which was ignored by Vigil.

_::But to stop it, you must understand or you will make the same mistakes we did. The Citadel is the heart of your civilisation and the seat of government. As it was with us, and as it has been with every civilisation that came before us. But the Citadel is a trap. The station is actually an enormous mass relay. One that links to dark space, the empty void beyond the galaxy's horizon. When the Citadel relay is activated, the Reapers will pour through. And all you know will be destroyed.::_

"Saren plans on activating the Citadel relay," Garrus realised.

"If he succeeds, the Reapers will wipe out the Council and the entire Citadel in one surprise attack," Shepard added and she suddenly felt cold at the realisation.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Wrex demanded and cracked his knuckles impatiently.

_::That was our fate. Our leaders were dead before we even realised we were under attack. The Reapers seized control of the Citadel and through it, the mass relays. Communication and transportation across our empire were crippled. Each star system was isolated, cut off from the others. Easy prey for the Reaper fleets. Over the next decades, the Reapers systematically obliterated our people. World by world, system by system, they methodically wiped us out. Our enemy had a single goal: the extinction of all advanced organic life. Through the Citadel, the Reapers had access to all our records, maps, census data. Information is power and they knew everything about us. Their fleets advanced across every settled region of the galaxy. Some worlds were utterly destroyed. Others were conquered, their populations enslaved._

_These indoctrinated servants became sleeper agents under Reaper control. Taken in as refugees by other Protheans, they betrayed them to the machines. Within a few centuries, the Reapers had enslaved or killed every Prothean in the galaxy. They were relentless, brutal and absolutely thorough. All evidence of the Reaper invasion was wiped away. Only their indoctrinated slaves were left behind, abandoned. Mindless husks no longer capable of independent thought, the indoctrinated soon starved or died of exposure. The genocide of the Protheans was complete.::_

Shepard took a moment to let that all sink in and briefly looked at her companions. There was a mixture of shock and horror on their faces though Wrex looked more angry than horrified. It did make sense, like why there was no evidence of the Reapers and why there was so little left behind by the Protheans. It was horrible to hear about and now Saren was planning on exposing the galaxy to this. He had to be stopped.

"How do we stop the Reapers?" Shepard demanded.

_::The Conduit is the key. Before the Reapers attacked, we Protheans were on the cusp of unlocking the mysteries behind mass relay technology. Ilos was a top secret facility. Here, researchers worked to create a small scale version of a mass relay. One that linked directly to the Citadel: the hub of the relay network.::_

Shepard frowned. What did any of this have to do with the Conduit or stopping Saren?

"The Conduit's not a weapon," Kaidan explained. "It's a back door onto the Citadel!"

"That's impossible," Sid muttered under her breath. "…isn't it?"

Shepard shrugged. "We're talking to a Prothean VI about a race of machines that can wipe out the galaxy."

Sid looked like she was about to argue and then she tilted her head to the side. "An excellent point."

_::When the Reapers retreated, the top researchers were still alive. When the researchers woke, they realised the Prothean species was doomed. There were only a dozen individuals left, far too few to sustain a viable population. Yet they vowed to find some way to stop the Reapers from returning. A way to break the cycle forever. And they knew the keepers were the key.::_

Shepard shook her head slowly, still struggling to figure things out. "I'm having a hard time following you. What does the Conduit have to do with stopping the Reapers and why is Saren trying to find it?"

_::The Conduit gives him access to the Citadel and the keepers. The keepers are controlling the Citadel. Before each invasion, a signal is sent through the station compelling the keepers to activate the Citadel relay. After decades of feverish study, the scientists discovered a way to alter this signal. Using the Conduit, they gained access to the Citadel and made the modifications. This time, when Sovereign sent the signal to the Citadel, the keepers ignored it. The Reapers are trapped in dark space.::_

"Enter Saren," Sid guessed.

Shepard gave her a sideways glance. "Sovereign must have come up with a Plan B in which he needs Saren to do something that will allow the Reapers to invade."

_::The one you call Saren will use the Conduit to bypass the Citadel's defences. Once inside, he will transfer the control of the station to Sovereign. Sovereign will override the Citadel's systems and manually open the relay. And the cycle of extinction will begin again.::_

"There must be some way to stop them," Shepard reasoned, otherwise Vigil probably wouldn't be talking to them.

_::There's a data file in my console. Take a copy when you go. When you reach the Citadel's master control unit, upload it to the station. It will corrupt the Citadels' security protocols and give you temporary control over the station. It might give you a chance against Sovereign.::_

Sid immediately went towards the computer terminal and connected her omni-tool to search for the necessary data file. Shepard hoped Sid didn't get any wild ideas about this file.

"The Citadel's master control unit?" Garrus suddenly asked. "I don't remember ever coming across it."

Out of everyone in the group, Garrus had spent the most time on the Citadel. If he wasn't familiar with the master control unit, then they would be in big trouble.

_::Through the Conduit. Follow Saren. He will lead you to your destination.::_

"Sid?" Shepard pressed.

Sid frowned in concentration as she examined her omni-tool. "I have the data file. It looks pretty straightforward."

"Then we need to move," Shepard ordered. "We need to close the gap with Saren."

_::The one you call Saren has not yet reached the Conduit. There is still hope if you hurry.::_

That was all the information Shepard needed. With one last look at Vigil as he deactivated himself, she vowed not to let Humanity – or any other race – suffer the same fate as the Protheans. There was still time to catch Saren and she would be damned if she let him slip out of her grasp again.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Shepard gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the steering wheel as the Mako was launched towards the Conduit. She could feel Sid tense up beside her and heard Wrex grunt in annoyance behind her. She just hoped that Kaidan had enough time to climb down from the turret and get secured into his seat. They could all tell the moment that the Mako made contact with the Conduit. There was a faint energy that made the hair on the back of Shepard's neck stand up straight. There was also a feeling of weightlessness as if gravity didn't exist. Shepard closed her eyes, waiting for the moment that gravity would return. The Mako was not equipped to go through mass relays and she wasn't looking forward to seeing what would happen.

Once the Mako passed through the Conduit, the energy disappeared but the feeling of weightlessness persisted…at least, for a moment. Gravity returned all too suddenly and the Mako landed hard on its front wheels. Shepard had to use all of her strength to keep from hitting her head against the steering wheel. The force had been too much because it caused the Mako to bounce at an odd angle. The Mako slid across the floor sideways before losing it altogether and slamming into a wall on its side. The consoles started to beep erratically and a computerised voice started to list off the various systems that were damaged. Apparently, this was how the Mako died. Shepard didn't care at the moment. The crash had jostled everyone and she was relieved to hear their groans because it meant they had all survived.

"Everyone all right?" Shepard called out, afraid to move at the moment.

Sid groaned as she sat upright in her chair. "Define 'all right'."

Shepard nearly laughed in relief. "Alive."

There was a pause. "I guess, under that particular requirement, I am all right."

Wrex had escaped the crash unharmed. Either that or his super Krogan healing powers had already done their job. In any case, he forced the side hatch open and crawled out to make sure the coast was clear. This way, they could use a few minutes to figure out injuries and come up with a game plan. As soon as Wrex gave the all clear, Garrus followed him out. Kaidan went after Garrus and Shepard was next. Sid was the last to leave the Mako.

"Next time," she groaned as she got to her feet. "_I_ drive."

"Come on, it wasn't that bad," Shepard argued and tried to check herself for any serious injuries.

Sid scoffed and winced briefly. "Your driving actually killed someone!"

Shepard panicked for a moment. The last thing she wanted to do was kill a civilian that had survived Saren's initial attack. When she looked in the direction that Sid was pointing, Shepard immediately wanted to kill her sister. The Mako had killed two somebodies, just as Sid had said, but those somebodies actually turned out to be geth…their enemy. Wrex and Garrus started to laugh and Sid grinned mischievously. Kaidan just shook his head in a combination of amusement and exasperation.

"Sid, that wasn't funny," Shepard decided in her most threatening voice.

"You're right," she agreed solemnly and then smirked again. "It was _hilarious_."

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Injuries?"

"I'm good," Wrex rumbled from his position.

"Nothing serious, Shepard," Garrus confirmed.

"I'm fine, Commander," Kaidan added.

"I think I cracked a rib," Sid reported. "And my hand's a bit sore but I'll be fine."

Shepard nodded her head once and found that her neck was already sore. She expected that they would all find new aches and pains tomorrow…assuming they survived this. Once it was clear that there were no serious injuries, Shepard took a moment to gain her bearings. It looked like they had crashed on the Presidium and the relay statue was actually the Conduit. Thinking back, she remembered Kaidan had idly commented on the statue during their first trip to the Citadel. It was frustrating to think that the Conduit had been here, right under their noses, the entire time. The Presidium had sustained some serious damage. Perhaps there was a chance that the geth met some heavy resistance. Some walls wore scorched black while others had exposed wires that kept sparking.

The lights flickered constantly and the Citadel VI, Avina, was having difficulty functioning. Debris was scattered everywhere and small fires burned in some places. Shepard then looked towards the elevator and immediately regretted it. A couple of Dragon's Teeth had been set up nearby and their victims were still impaled. Even as Shepard watched, the pointy edge started to descend to the floor. The husks charged as soon as they were able. Shepard instinctively drew her assault rifle and opened fire. The sounds of the others firing their own guns soon followed and there was nothing left of the husks a few moments later.

They took a moment to make sure there weren't any more husks about to charge them. Sid quickly holstered her pistols and walked straight over to the Avina console. Avina's form continually flickered and even though it looked like she was talking, there was no sound. Shepard had no idea what her little sister was doing. Sid opened the access panel and started to fiddle with the contents. Avina disappeared entirely.

"Sid, what are you doing?" she asked.

Sid didn't look up from her work. "Routine maintenance."

"Uh…right," Shepard replied, well aware of the fact that this was anything but routine. "Why?"

"Avina has a console everywhere in this station and has access to pretty much every computer terminal. If I can get her working again, she could probably give us some information," Sid answered.

Shepard was about to point out that they didn't exactly have the time for this when Avina's form reappeared and she no longer flickered. Sid stepped back from the console and dusted her hands off as though she had just done something extremely challenging. Avina swiftly delivered the standard evacuation order and Shepard gave Sid a look. How was this helping them?

"Avina, status report," Sid ordered, ignoring Shepard entirely.

_::We have lost all primary power to the level. Environmental controls are not responding. Class three fires are burning in sectors 2, 3, 6 and 7. Civilian casualties are high. I am also detecting numerous unauthorised synthetic life forms throughout the station. They are believed to be hostile. Please approach with caution.::_

"That was really helpful information, Sid," Shepard commented dryly.

Sid rolled her eyes. "You do realise a little bit of patience won't kill you?"

"Today it might."

Sid gave her a look and returned her attention to Avina. "Activate Failsafe Gamma."

_::Acknowledged. Ghost Protocol is now in effect. Full access granted. Do you have a particular query?::_

They all turned to look at Sid in surprise. How on earth had she gotten control over the Citadel's VI and why hadn't she mentioned it before?

"Sid?" Shepard said in an even tone.

Sid shrugged. "What? It's not like I have access to a doomsday device on the Citadel. I only have full access to all her information, that's it. No restrictions on access. We can ask her anything and she'll give us the information. I swear. Besides, I thought we don't have time for this?"

Shepard sighed in defeat. It was a fair point. "What happened to the Council?"

_::In accordance with standard emergency procedures, the Council has been evacuated to the Destiny Ascension.::_

"What happened to Captain Anderson and Councillor Udina?" Kaidan asked the VI.

_::I have no information on the status of specific individuals. Once the current crisis has been resolved, a complete accounting of casualties and survivors will begin.::_

Shepard gave Sid a look.

"What?" Sid demanded. "She is still restricted by her programming. She can't tell us what she doesn't know."

"Do you have a location on Saren?" Shepard asked, expecting the same answer.

_::Former Spectre agent Saren Arterius is nearing the vicinity of the Council Chambers. A warrant has been issued for his arrest though Citadel Security is unable to respond at this time.::_

Shepard looked to Sid. "You think you can stall him?"

"Maybe," Sid answered unsurely and brought up her omni-tool. "The Citadel is already in a state of emergency but the system knows the Council has been evacuated so none of the measures have been activated…gimme a minute."

"Wrex, Garrus," Shepard looked up. "I want you two to search for survivors, ideally C-Sec. They've been trained with weapons and could probably help us with the geth. Kaidan, Sid and I will go after Saren. Maybe you'll be able to save some civilians, at least."

"We're on it, Shepard," Garrus acknowledged.

Wrex grumbled something under his breath. Shepard wasn't surprised. Garrus was probably going to take personal offence at this attack as he had been a part of C-Sec for so long, many of the officers felt like family. It would be important to him to find some of them, at least. She was sending Wrex because Garrus would need some serious muscle to back him up and the Krogan was like a package deal: biotics, shotgun and melee combat rolled into one. And he could take a few hits without a problem.

"Wrex, you do realise this place will be swarming with Geth?" Kaidan pointed out. This cheered him right up.

"Hang on," Sid interjected. "It looks like whatever Sovereign is up to, he's blocking all communications."

"Can you get them back?" Garrus asked.

"Not in the amount of time we have," she answered. "It's some pretty serious stuff. But I was able to convince the security systems to attack Saren. A couple of blast doors closed and it will take the geth some time to slice their way in. It's the best I can do."

"All right," Shepard replied. "We have our orders. Sid, keep trying with the comms. Wrex, Garrus, good luck."

Wrex and Garrus carefully picked their way over the debris, heading in the direction of C-Sec. Shepard led Kaidan and Sid over to the elevator. Sid's focus was still entirely on her omni-tool. Shepard shared a glance with Kaidan. They were finally catching up with Saren after weeks of chasing him all over the galaxy. They wouldn't give up, not now, and Ash deserved justice. She could almost hear Ash teasing Kaidan for falling for his CO. It was almost enough to bring a smile to her face…almost but not quite. They had a job to do and it was not the time to get lost in memories. Shepard tore her eyes away from Kaidan and focused on preparing her assault rifle.

"That bastard!" Sid suddenly growled in a menacing voice.

"What?" Shepard and Kaidan asked at the same time.

"I don't know how he's done it but he's completely bypassed everything I've done. He's closing the Citadel's arms," she explained in frustration and then her omni-tool's screen flashed red. "And now I'm locked out of the system!"

Shepard was just about to ask what that meant and if Sid could get back into the system when the elevator came to a sudden and unexpected stop. Kaidan and Shepard had the benefit of leaning against the sides of the elevator so they were able to balance themselves out relatively quickly without falling over. Sid was not so lucky. Between being engrossed by her omni-tool and the sudden stop, she was caught unaware and fell over. A long string of Batarian curses followed as she picked herself up. Shepard was starting to get the impression that Sid only turned to Batarian when she was really, _really_ angry.

"Kaidan, can you get us moving again?" she asked.

Kaidan was already investigating the elevator's control panel. "No. There's nothing I can do. Not from here, anyway."

They were running out of both options and time. The elevator wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and they needed to get to Saren. There weren't a lot of options left to them and the excuse of being trapped in an elevator was not one Shepard fancied giving out to people if Saren won. An idea finally came to her.

"Suit up," she ordered. "We're going outside."

Kaidan and Sid both looked at her like she was crazy. The only difference was Kaidan didn't look entirely convinced that this was a good idea whereas Sid completely approved of the idea. Shepard decided Sid's reaction was the more unsettling of the two. Regardless, they all put on their helmets. Shepard double checked that her helmet was secure and then looked up. Sid nodded her head once and Kaidan gave her a thumbs-up. They then walked to Shepard's side of the elevator and stood behind her. She took out her pistol and fired at the glass. It took a few shots but it finally exploded into space. The shards of glass floated around, just like so much other debris from the Citadel. Shepard approached the exit she had just created and curiously peered out. Sure enough, the Citadel's arms were still slowly closing. They didn't have much time.

She looked down and her stomach did a backflip. It was a _really_ long way down. Shepard carefully stepped out of the elevator and her hardsuit's mag boots activated, gluing her to the elevator shaft. She turned around and looked up. This was going to be an interesting exercise, especially she and Kaidan had been trained in zero gravity scenarios. Would Sid be able to handle this? Shepard would have asked but their communications were still out. She looked over her shoulder and found Kaidan and Sid, waiting behind her. Kaidan had his pistol ready and Sid was once again focused on her omni-tool. Well, she was persistent at least. Shepard took out her assault rifle.

"_Testing_," Sid's voice suddenly filled Shepard's helmet.

"Sid?"

"_I managed to get short range communications back,"_ Sid explained. _"The three of us can talk as long as we don't get separated or stray too far from one another. As far as anyone else is concerned…"_

"Understood," Shepard replied. "Kaidan?"

"_You're coming in loud and clear, Commander."_

"Good job, Sid. Let's get moving."

Shepard started to walk forward…or up. This was going to get confusing. It had been a while since she had last experienced zero gravity. As long as they didn't get turned around and she was able to focus, they would be fine. Too bad they couldn't go any faster than a jog. They were finally covering some ground and were slowly getting used to the conditions when an elevator suddenly passed them and stopped a short distance ahead. The side exploded quite violently and a group of geth spilled out, firing their guns. Shepard, Kaidan and Sid were forced to seek out cover before they could return fire. It was at this moment when Shepard realised that Sid was using both of her pistols and was pretty effective with them. Perhaps she had finally decided a few things about herself.

As soon as the last geth was dead, Kaidan headed over to the elevator and scanned it with his omni-tool. He then looked up and shook his head. Shepard had hoped that the elevator was still working so they could cover some ground before it was shut down too. Unfortunately, it looked like the geth had done an excellent job of sabotaging their elevator. Before Shepard had a chance to ponder this, more geth further up ahead opened fire on them. It was annoying that they had caught on so quickly to Shepard's alternate route. But were the geth here to kill them or just stall them? They weren't attacking in huge numbers and were easily taken down. Perhaps Saren was close enough to achieving his goal that he no longer cared what happened to them or his geth.

Shepard kept pushing forward while the geth kept attacking. It was annoying and frustrating. Somehow, the geth had discovered other passages that led into the elevator shaft which allowed them to ambush Shepard, Kaidan and Sid from both sides. Luckily, they were putting up quite the fight. Kaidan didn't hesitate to use his biotics and he would quite often just throw the geth out into the open and let the void of space deal with them. Sid was also proving effective with her twin pistols though she appeared hesitant to use her gadgets. Shepard didn't know why, considering they had proven quite useful in the past. And then she remember that Sid's shield deactivator needed a lot of time to cool down so she probably wanted to save it for Saren, just in case. The smoke balls would probably be useless in zero gravity and she'd lost her other device back on Virmire.

Eventually, they stumbled upon a large open area with a couple of turrets built into floor…or wall or whatever it was. Shepard had become so disorientated that she had no idea where they were anymore, only that they needed to keeping going up to reach the Council Chambers. A geth drop ship hovered nearby and it certainly explained a few things. It was in that moment that Shepard realised the turrets had been deactivated. If they had any chance of moving past the drop ship and getting closer to the end, that drop ship needed to go. Three soldiers on foot would be useless against it which meant they needed the turrets.

"Sid, activate the turrets," Shepard ordered. "Kaidan and I will draw the geth's fire."

"_I'm on it,"_ Sid replied and immediately ran over to the closest turret.

Kaidan and Shepard ducked behind some nearby cover and started to fire at the geth. It took only a few moments for the turret to come online and start firing at the geth drop ship. When Shepard looked for Sid to see which turret she was going after next, she was gone. Shepard didn't know whether to love or hate Sid's tactical cloak. At least, in this instance, it made it easier to keep the geth's attention fixed on them. Sid moved surprisingly quickly. All three turrets were online in a matter of minutes. Shepard guessed that it was easier to do when an army of geth wasn't constantly firing on her and her technical prowess made it child's play.

The geth drop ship exploded a few minutes later and even took a few geth with it. Sid soon reappeared next to Shepard and Kaidan with her pistols at the ready. The last few went down quite easily and they swiftly moved on. Now that they had gained some traction, Shepard didn't want to stop for too long. After what felt like a lifetime of fighting geth and getting shot at, Shepard finally the access hatch that would lead them to the Council Chambers and to Saren. The only thought that went through her mind was _"Please don't let us be too late"_. The geth had slowed them down a lot but they pushed back and they had finally closed the distance. Saren was just in front of them and it was time to make him answer for his crimes.

_Please don't let us be too late. Please._

* * *

><p>The Presidium was eerily quiet. There were no cries for help or screams of terror. There was no gunfire or explosions. This could only mean one of two things. Either everyone had been killed and therefore there wasn't anyone left to make those noises or the geth had no more interest in the Presidium once Saren had forged his path through the civilians. Garrus fervently hoped it had been the latter. The Citadel had been his home for a few years and it was hard seeing it in such a state of disrepair. The thought that Shepard was going to make Saren pay for everything he had done made it easier to deal with though he wanted to be there with Shepard.<p>

Saren had committed a lot of crimes but none of them were as wrong as Ashley's death. Garrus wouldn't have called Ashley his friend, it was true, but they still shared a special bond. They were comrades – brothers in arms, as the humans liked to say. Ashley had been a good soldier: tough, independent, loyal and she didn't deserve to go out like that. But Garrus knew he needed to find the C-Sec offices. Working at C-Sec had been a job but some of those officers had felt like family, in a really weird way. He had spent years working with them and he needed to know that they had survived and were still putting up a fight. He knew that this was why Shepard had sent him off with Wrex. She knew that making Saren pay was important to him but C-Sec was even more important.

Wrex was walking a little bit ahead of him with his shotgun clutched tightly. Garrus was surprised that Wrex was willingly at his side and hadn't said a bad word about it…not yet, at least. They walked in silence, hoping to sneak up on any ambushes or possibly hear the calls for help, if there were any to be heard. It was strange that there were few bodies lying around. Given the size of Saren's army and the amount of destruction it had caused, Garrus had expected to come across more corpses. Wrex must have had a similar thought because he stopped suddenly and then sniffed the air. He beckoned Garrus to come closer. The Turian assumed it was so they could have a silent conversation. Communications were still down and he doubted Sid would have much time to bring them back online.

"It smells wrong," Wrex said in a deep whisper.

Garrus looked around carefully. "What do you mean?"

"I can smell the dead but they don't smell like the dead," the Krogan attempted to explain.

Garrus had trouble understanding him but he made a guess. "Husks?"

"Could be."

Garrus swapped his sniper rifle for his assault rifle and they continued to walk forward in silence. The debris that littered the Presidium made things hard. Not only did it make a direct route to the C-Sec Academy impossible but it also helped obscure the Dragon's Teeth and any geth that could be lurking about, looking for their next victims. Just because they were silent didn't mean they weren't there. The debris forced them to look for alternative routes whenever they couldn't climb over it, occasionally cutting through shops and the like. Just as they turned a corner while making a detour, they stumbled onto a large number of Dragon's Teeth. So, this explained why there weren't any corpses around.

The Teeth retracted and the husks turned to rush at them. Garrus opened fire with his assault rifle and started to walk backwards. He hated fighting at close range and wanted to keep as much distance between himself and the husks as possible. Wrex did not share these sentiments. His biotics flared as he charged into the middle of the group, sending husks in all directions. As soon as he made it to the other side, he used his shotgun to execute the husks lying on the ground and then tossed the others aside with his biotics. And all the while, he laughed like a maniac. Krogan really enjoyed violence and for once, Garrus was thankful for it because it kept the husks from getting too close to him. They continued on their way. Garrus was quite surprised that the noise of combat hadn't attracted the attention of more husks or geth.

It took a while but they eventually spotted the elevator that would take them to the C-Sec Academy. There had been a few pockets of geth and husks along the way but they were killed quite easily. It felt strange to be coming back to C-Sec. It didn't quite feel like he was coming home. Maybe it was the destruction and serious nature of his return that made it different? Or maybe he was different? It wasn't an unusual thought. Serving under Commander Shepard had taught him a lot and even the confrontation with Dr Saleon had been enlightening. Garrus was not the same Turian that had left C-Sec all those weeks ago.

At first glance, the C-Sec Academy looked like it had when he left, aside from the fact that it was empty. Upon closer inspection, however, Garrus realised something was very wrong. The walls had black scorch marks everywhere. There had definitely been a gunfight here though it was hard to tell who won. The glass elevator shaft that led up to the docks had a few scratch and a couple of bullet holes. Datapads were scattered across the floor and a few tables had been moved into the large area so it could be used as cover. Wrex halted suddenly and sniffed the air again. Garrus waited patiently while keeping watch.

"I smell humans," the Krogan announced.

"Which way?"

Wrex pointed at some nearby stairs which would take them up. Garrus double checked his assault rifle and then nodded to Wrex. Wrex was all too happy to take point and together, they carefully ascended the stairs, taking it one step at a time. This floor was divided into a few different areas which the officers would sometimes use for breaks or to interview witnesses or others who had come to report a crime. Garrus remembered that Shepard had crossed paths with the Volus Jahleed when they were helping Chorban scan the keepers. There were also a few offices up here but not many. Executor Pallin's office was located elsewhere.

As they neared the top of the stairs, he could hear a few people whispering nervously amongst themselves but they shushed each other when they heard Wrex and Garrus approach. As they turned the corner, they were suddenly face to face with some guns. The C-Sec officers looked nervous but they recognised Garrus almost immediately. The officers lowered their guns and quickly passed the news that they were friendlies. Garrus gladly holstered his assault rifle while Wrex looked reluctant to put his shotgun away. As Garrus looked around the room, he realised that a lot of civilians had turned to C-Sec for protection and C-Sec was doing the best that it could.

A tall man suddenly approached at a fast pace. He had the build and walk of a soldier even though he wasn't wearing any armour at the moment. He had thinning black hair and dark skin. It took Garrus a few moments to realise why he recognised this man. He had been with Shepard when they first arrived at Citadel and were going to meet the Council – the meeting that had set all this into motion. Captain Anderson. That was his name.

"Vakarian," the Captain said by way of greeting. "What's going on out there?"

"Shepard took Sid and Alenko to face Saren. He's in the Council Chambers," Garrus answered. "She also ordered Joker to take the _Normandy_ to get the Alliance ready. Communications are still down though, despite Sid's attempts to fix it."

"You found the Conduit?" Anderson asked curiously. There was no surprise although it was possible that he was just misreading human emotions again.

Garrus nodded. "It was a prototype mass relay that connected Ilos to the Citadel. It's how we got here."

"And it's also how Saren got his geth onto the Citadel without detection." Captain Anderson looked around at the terrified faces. "Did you come across any more survivors out there?"

"Do husks count?" Wrex asked bluntly.

Captain Anderson shook his head slowly. "The geth attacked C-Sec shortly after they began their invasion. It was all we could do to get everyone up here. I hope there are more survivors out there."

"Where is Executor Pallin?" Garrus asked.

"We don't know," Anderson answered. "We tried to find him but the geth cut us off. Then we couldn't get a message to him. As far as we know, he was in his office when the attack started."

It wasn't the news Garrus wanted to hear but there was still a chance he was alive. Executor Pallin was extremely stubborn, after all.

"Where's your councillor?" Garrus asked, remembering the questions that had been posed to Avina.

Anderson's expression went neutral and he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "He's alive, for now. He was overseeing C-Sec's interrogation. They demanded I tell them what happened to the _Normandy_ and how it got away in the first place. That's when the geth arrived."

"Husks," Wrex suddenly interjected and took his shotgun out again, much to the survivors' horror. "Downstairs."

"We'll take care of them," Garrus offered. The other C-Sec officers looked relieved.

Captain Anderson took out a pistol. "I'm coming with you."

They descended the stairs quickly and were surprised to find a large number of husks and geth crawling around, looking for more people to kill. Garrus and Wrex must have attracted more attention than they realised. Either that or they had led the geth straight to the survivors. Without waiting for any orders or directions, Wrex charged straight into the group, splattering a few husks in the process. Luckily, it also distracted the geth for a few moments. Garrus opened fire with his assault rifle and Captain Anderson's pistol soon joined in the chaos. It was pretty clear that Wrex was having a lot of fun and it was unnerving Captain Anderson.

Garrus had expected the numbers to thin as they had done before but there didn't seem to be any change. It was then that Garrus realised that the geth hadn't just stumbled upon the survivors or even followed him here. They were storming the C-Sec Academy, apparently determined to kill anyone and everyone. Saren was one…what was the human saying? Son of a ditch? It sounded close enough. Garrus kept up a constant stream of bullets, just as Wrex continually knocked husks aside and tossed geth around with his biotics. They needed to keep the fight down here and away from the civilians. They also needed to hold on just long enough for Shepard to defeat Saren. Garrus had no doubt: Shepard was going to defeat Saren and she would make him pay.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

The Council Chambers had often been described as the most beautiful place on the Citadel. Sid hadn't the time to admire the scenery the last time they were here because she was too preoccupied with the possibility of being arrested but she was looking now. She disagreed with the assessment though. There was too much smoke for her liking and while the trees that were still on fire added a bit of dramatic atmosphere, it did nothing for the aesthetics of the room. Then again, it probably looked better before Saren attacked the Citadel and allowed his geth army to rampage through the Council Chambers. What possible reason could they have to put the trees on fire, anyway? Those plants did nothing to them. Then again, it hadn't stopped them from murdering countless innocents.

Jo started to walk down the corridor from the elevator deeper into the Council Chambers with her assault rifle ready for action. Kaidan followed her closely with his pistol clasped tightly. Sid had holstered her left pistol and carefully walked behind the others. There was some destruction here but it seemed like this area was better off than the Presidium. It was hardly surprising because there was no one left up here to defend the room. The Council had already fled with their very talented guards, leaving the rest of the Citadel's residents to face the geth alone. So much for being prepared. Pieces of the ceiling had cluttered down, creating huge holes in the walls and floors. Yet, somehow, the circular fountain just beyond the elevator had survived and was still happily…fountaining?

Jo didn't spare the fountain a second look as she pressed ahead. Sid tried to keep up but her sister was on the warpath now and determined to see it through, if her expression was anything to go by. They had all removed their helmets as soon as they arrived in the Council Chambers. Sid was suddenly regretting the decision when she tried to stifle a cough from the smoke and noticed the ash that was raining down from the roof. Somehow, the Marines didn't notice or care. As soon as they passed the fountain and drew closer to the stairs, geth suddenly fired upon them from above. Sid knew they were missing something up until that point, what with it being so quiet and all. She and Kaidan ducked to one side while Shepard went behind the other.

Sid didn't have much experience fighting from the bottom of a staircase while her enemy was at the top. It was harder than she had first realised because it was impossible to get a shot, mostly because the geth had a clear line of sight and wouldn't stop firing their weapons. Kaidan provided a solution when he enveloped the first geth in biotic energy and pulled it down the stairs. Sid used her pistol to kill it and Jo used the opening to kill the other one. They hurried up the stairs before more geth could pin them down but as it turned out, there were a lot more geth waiting for them upstairs.

She immediately rolled into cover behind a large rock. The area immediately beyond the stairs was taken up by a circular garden, complete with grass, huge rocks and trees. Sid doubted the designer had taken this particular scenario into account but she was very grateful for the large rock. The space between the garden and the final set of stairs that led to the Council podiums was covered in geth. There were a lot more here than she had been expecting. But what had she been expecting? That Saren would let his little geth army run amok through the Citadel while he got the serious work done? That sounded about right.

Sid reached into her pouch of inventions and pulled out her last smoke ball. She looked at it fondly for a second and thought back to all the fun memories she had with them before tossing into the chaos along the left side. As soon as it rolled into the middle of the geth, she fired a shot with her pistol and the geth were enveloped in a cloud of thick black smoke. Kaidan and Jo had already focused their efforts on the right side of the room. Sid drew her second pistol and opened fire. Only recently, she had rediscovered the advantages of dual wielding and how much fun it was to have two guns. Kaidan sent a Geth trooper flying across the room and Sid opened fire on a Shock trooper. She really hated those blasted rocket launchers. Jo was firing her assault rifle in long sweeps, effectively killing a few geth while injuring others and keeping the heat off of Sid and Kaidan.

By the time the smoke cleared around the left side of the room, the right was completely geth free. Sid popped up from behind her rock and she could just make out Saren. It looked like he was focused on a large computer terminal and its monitor was large and rectangular, taking up a lot of space. That was odd. No one ever mentioned there was a computer terminal inside the Council Chambers and she had looked, just in case she ever needed it. This must be the Citadel's master control unit that Vigil had mentioned. Imagine the kind of access a computer like that could give…Sid's thoughts were cut off when she was forced to quickly duck behind her rock again. _Less imagining, more fighting_ she silently reminded herself and fired at the geth.

As soon as the last geth was dead, Jo raced forward. She didn't even wait for its body to hit the floor. Sid and Kaidan had to scramble to catch up as she swiftly approached the final set of stairs. They sprinted up them with their guns at the ready. Sid remembered the last time they were standing here: Udina stabbed them in the back and decided to place the _Normandy_ under lockdown because he was a short sighted ninny who put his ambitions ahead of the common good. She vaguely wondered if he was still alive. Karma could be a real bitch sometimes. While she had been momentarily distracted, Saren had disappeared from the podium. That was…unexpected. Jo and Kaidan were just as surprised as Saren had been there only a few moments ago.

Jo narrowed her eyes as she continued to scan the area for Saren. Sid was about to bring up her omni-tool to search for him when he suddenly reappeared on his sled thingy from beneath the podium. She only had about a second to register this because Saren then threw a bomb directly at them. Jo and Kaidan dodged to the left because it was closest. Sid dove off to the right. It exploded seconds later and the force of the explosion was enough to knock Sid off her feet and send her sprawling across the floor. Her ribs cried out in pain and she resisted the urge to do the same. It took her a few moments to get up and hide behind her cover which was made up of plants and a railing. Those were well known for their ability to stop bullets…not. Sid somehow drew the short straw as Jo and Kaidan had a few rocks on their side.

"I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time, Shepard," Saren commented after a few moments.

Jo, Kaidan and Sid exchanged a bewildered look. What did that mean?

"In time for what?" Jo demanded irritably.

Sid noticed Saren's gun pointed in Jo's direction. He was using her voice to pinpoint her location. An idea suddenly occurred to Sid. She guessed that the Rogue Spectre was indoctrinated – the metallic upgrades that she could see only added to this theory – which meant Saren was focusing on whatever Sovereign told him to. In this case, stopping Jo from stopping the Reapers was their focus. Sid and Kaidan didn't matter to Saren. He barely acknowledged their presence. And if he was trading words with Jo, then he wasn't paying attention to the master control unit. He wouldn't expect someone to sneak in behind him and stall his plans, especially if a tactical cloak was involved. Sid surprised herself at the craziness of this particular plan.

"The final confrontation," Saren answered easily as though the answer was obvious. "I think we both expected it would end like this. You've lost. You know that, don't you? In a few minutes, Sovereign will have full control of all the Citadel's systems. The relay will open. The Reapers will return."

Sid tried to get Jo's attention to convey her plan but Saren had her undivided attention. How could Jo choose the worst possible time to ignore Sid? Thankfully, Kaidan noticed Sid and nudged Jo in the side with his elbow. When Jo gave him a confused look, he pointed at Sid and Sid quickly relayed her plan through hand signals. They clearly did not approve of her plan, perhaps because Sid was never expected to put her life on the line like this but they were out of options and they were running out of time. Sid could buy them some more time, she knew it. Jo's expression hardened and she nodded. Her expression told Sid: you better not die. Sid gave her a smile and then activated her tactical cloak.

Jo quickly replied to Saren to keep his attention fixed on her and Sid quietly moved towards the master control unit. While she was attempting to get orientated with the layout of the master control unit, she absently heard Saren mention that Sovereign had "upgraded" him. That explained how he had so easily bypassed everything she had done. He was such a cheater, using Reaper tech. _Focus._ The system was complicated and unfamiliar but it was still a computer terminal which meant she could use it. Vigil had mentioned that the files he had given to her would only give them control for a few minutes. Sid didn't want to waste those few minutes now. They were too crucial. Instead, she started to search for ways to stall Sovereign from gaining control. It involved a lot of creativity and concentration as she constantly attacked him with viruses and garbage data, attempting to overload his system. It was an unlikely outcome as Reapers were extremely advanced but she had to try.

As long as she could hear Jo and Saren's voices, Sid knew she was safe because it meant that Saren was still distracted. That could change at any second and she knew it. Her tactical cloak could suddenly deactivate – the programming still had a few bugs and how long it worked for varied – or Sovereign could send a message to Saren, telling him someone else was in the system. Whether or not this was actually possible was irrelevant because Sid needed to be ready to move at a moment's notice while still focusing on stalling Sovereign. This task was proving far more difficult than anticipated and Sid was using every trick she could think of.

A single gunshot suddenly echoed. It was so unexpected that Sid jumped and spun around, her pistols at the ready and her tactical cloak deactivated. To add to her surprise, Jo was standing directly opposite her with an equally surprised expression. The sound of breaking glass attracted Sid's attention and she watched as Saren's lifeless body collapsed to the floor below. There was a gunshot wound to his head which could have only come from…a suicide? That was even more unexpected than the gunshot. Somehow, Jo had managed to get through the indoctrination and Saren had killed himself. Sid stared at Saren's body for a few minutes and when she looked up again, Jo and Kaidan were standing close to her.

"Upload the file, Sid," Jo ordered in a determined voice.

Sid nodded and brought up her omni-tool. The file took a few seconds to transfer and a few screens popped up on the monitor before disappearing again. Sid now had full access to the Citadel's systems, just as Vigil promised, and Sid instinctively knew that this was a one use file. There would be no trace of it on her omni-tool or on the system when they were done. There would be no chance for her – or anyone, for that matter – to replicate the file. Given its nature, that was probably for the best.

"Vigil was right," Sid said. "I have full access to the system."

"Can you restore communications?" Jo asked.

Sid started to type as fast as she could. Vigil hadn't said how long this control would last and she wanted to make every second count.

_::…the Destiny Ascension. Main drives offline. Kinetic barriers down 40%. The Council is on board. I repeat, the Council is on board.::_

They exchanged a look. There was nothing they could do from their position. And even if they could, what were their options? Sid probably wouldn't save the Council for a lot of reasons but she realised they were all petty and biased. It was probably a good thing that the fate of the galaxy didn't depend on her. A second voice followed on the channel and immediately filled Sid with a sense of relief.

_::_Normandy_ to the Citadel. _Normandy_ to the Citadel. Please tell me that's you, Commander.::_

There was so much urgency and worry in Joker's voice that almost made Sid regret coming with Jo.

"I'm here, Joker," Jo replied. "Sid and Kaidan are fine too."

_::We caught that distress call, Commander. I'm sitting here in the Andura Sector with the entire Arcturus Fleet. We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays around the Citadel and we'll send the cavalry in!::_

Joker definitely sounded relieved after hearing that they were all right. Jo nodded to Sid and she immediately refocused on the terminal, trying to find the commands that would allow her to unlock the relays. It was pretty clear that Jo didn't know what to do about the Council. Saving them would cost a lot of human lives while condemning them could affect the entire galaxy, not necessarily in a good way. They had made progress with these Councillors and Sid doubted that if a new Council had to be chosen, there would be too much animosity towards Humanity for anything to go right afterwards. Humanity would probably be hated more than Batarians.

"This is bigger than Humanity," Kaidan pointed out. "Sovereign's a threat to every organic species in the galaxy!"

Jo didn't reply immediately. "Sid?"

"I'm not the best person to ask. I'm biased against politicians," she answered and then sighed. "But…if we lose this Council, any future Council will hate us for it. Saving them now might save more human lives in the future." She quickly found what she was looking for and hit the necessary keys. "Joker, the relays are unlocked."

_::Thanks, Sid. What's the order, Commander? Come in now to save the Ascension or hold back?::_

There was the briefest moment of hesitation before Jo answered. "Save the Council, no matter the cost. We need them."

A small screen caught Sid's attention and she moved it to the centre of the monitor, enlarging it. Hundreds of Alliance ships were coming through the relay, joining the battle almost immediately. Sid didn't need to look at Jo to know that she felt restless. Jo always had to be at the middle of the fight – if not fighting, then advising. Her crew was out there without her and there was nothing they could do. Their part in this fight was over. All they could do now was watch and wait. Sid bit her bottom lip in worry. The _Normandy_ was at the front of all the ships which meant they would be first in the firing line. Joker was the best pilot that Sid had ever met and despite this, she couldn't stop herself from worrying. It would be a cruel twist of fate if she finally opened herself up to those around her, only to lose them while she watched and could do nothing.

"Sid, open the Citadel's arms," Jo suddenly ordered.

Sid nodded in silence once again, minimising the window. She started to search for the commands and quickly found them. The Citadel's arms slowly started to open. Jo and Kaidan chose that moment to go make sure that Saren was really dead. Sid was too focused on doing everything she could to stall Sovereign and give the Alliance an advantage while Vigil's program still gave her access. She jumped when there was another gunshot and heard Jo comment that Saren was dead. Sid wanted to point out that generally a gunshot wound to the head was pretty good at killing people but she never got the chance.

The Council Chambers suddenly started to pulse with energy and red lines of light appeared for a second before disappearing. Cracks started to form in the walls and chunks from the ceiling started to fall down. Sid had to step back from the console to avoid being squashed. No sooner had she taken that step that the floor beneath her suddenly collapsed, angling downward. This was completely unexpected and sent her into an involuntary roll before she collapsed on the floor. Once again, pain radiated from her ribs and she gasped in pain. A Batarian curse quickly followed. Gravity was proving to be a cold, heartless bitch today and Sid was becoming sick of it. Jo quickly pulled her to her feet and pushed Sid behind her as they slowly backed away from Saren's body.

The red energy was pulsing and arcing around Saren's body as though it was attracting the energy. His body convulsed violently and there was an explosion of fiery red light. The force knocked them all off their feet. Sid was momentarily blinded and confused. It took her a moment to realise that Jo had just pulled her behind a rock for cover. Sid carefully looked around and had trouble believing what she was seeing. She could only hope that the red light had made her hit her head and thus was making her see things that couldn't possibly be real.

* * *

><p>Saren's body continued to convulse until it exploded in bright red light until only a skeletal frame remained. No, that wasn't quite right. This…thing was not Saren, not anymore. It ceased to be Saren the moment he discovered Sovereign and fell victim to its power. There was also the tiny detail that if it really had been Saren, the two bullets to the head would have been enough to kill him and make sure that he stayed dead. Apparently, Sovereign had made a few upgrades that no one could have predicted. They were now faced with fighting a zombie Saren and if that wasn't enough, he also tended to jump around like those geth stalkers they had encountered on Feros. This was just fantastic.<p>

"Why can't we ever fight anything normal?" Sid asked in a voice that led Shepard to believe she was in a bit of pain.

"It's just the luck of the draw, Sid," Shepard replied as they ducked behind their rocks to get organised.

"Who did we piss off in a past life?" she muttered under her breath and readied her twin pistols.

Shepard didn't reply to the question as she tightened her grip on her assault rifle. Throughout this mission to stop Saren, they had fought a lot of strange things. There was a giant homicidal plant, geth, husks, Thorian creepers…this had to be the weirdest though. She could feel her rock being hit with energy and she could also feel Saren jumping around. This was going to be hard and Sid was out of inventions. There was no way her shield disruptor could be of any use in this fight. They were going to have to win this fight the ol' fashioned way.

"I am Sovereign and this station is MINE!" Saren shouted out in a voice that sounded just like Sovereign. That wasn't a good sign.

"Yeah, yeah," Sid responded. "Put a sock in it."

Sovereign-Saren was still jumping all over the room and it was impossible to shoot at him. Even when they were able to get a few bullets off, he somehow had some pretty powerful shields that absorbed the damage. Of course he did. The Reapers didn't like playing fair. As soon as they finally managed to make some damage by pure luck, Sovereign-Saren attached himself to the wall and pelted them with large explosives that did a pretty good job of destroying the rocks that they were using for cover. It also forced them to spread around the room. Shepard suddenly realised that this could work both ways and possibly keep him off balance.

The explosions must have given Sid an idea because she quickly activated her tactical cloak. Shepard had no idea what she was planning and already didn't like it. Sid had already survived her encounter with Saren on Virmire and had somehow avoided his attention while accessing the master control unit but there were only so many times that Sid could avoid him. She expected an ambush at any moment and was quite surprised when nothing happened until Sid reappeared right next to her. They fired off a few shots at Sovereign-Saren before ducking behind the new rock that they were using as cover.

"I have an idea," Sid announced. "Kaidan is already on board."

"Oh?" Shepard asked, slightly offended. "Why didn't you run this past me first?"

They were forced to move behind another rock and returned fire for a few moments.

"He was closer," Sid answered and winced slightly. "We don't have a lot of options right now and limited resources at our disposal."

"Agreed. What do you have in mind?"

"We wait until Saren is on the floor." Sid opened fire over the rock and ducked behind again. "Kaidan puts him in biotic stasis. I throw my shield disruptor at his feet which will overload his shields and hopefully stun him for a second. Then you throw one of your grenades. If that doesn't kill him, it should give us a chance to open fire."

"'Should'?" Shepard quoted as they changed cover once again. "There's a lot riding on a 'should'."

"I'm making this up as I go along," Sid retorted. "Besides, do you have a better plan?"

"No," Shepard admitted reluctantly and then nodded in Kaidan's direction.

Sid crouched, looking like she was about to start running. "All right then. I'll get behind him. We wait on Kaidan's go."

Shepard gave her a look. "You're starting to sound like a Marine."

Sid gasped. "Take it back!"

Shepard smiled and shook her head. "Move your ass, Sid."

"Fine, I'm going."

Sid activated her tactical cloak and soon reappeared on the other side of the room so their positions formed a triangle around Saren with him in the centre. They continued to fire their weapons, waiting for the perfect opportunity to set their plan into motion. Shepard hoped this plan of Sid's would work and she hoped this constant fire would help wear down Sovereign-Saren's shields. It took a while but he finally dropped into the spot and Kaidan immediately used his biotics to envelop him in blue energy, freezing him completely. It didn't look like it would last long. Sid must have been thinking along the same line because a second later, her shield disruptor was at his feet.

Energy shot up Sovereign-Saren's body and Kaidan released his biotics. The shield generators exploded and sent Sovereign-Saren flying a small distance and he collided into the wall. Shepard already had a grenade ready and she slid it across the floor. The moment it reached his feet, she detonated it and the explosion that followed was bigger than expected. Red light lit the room up but somehow, Sovereign-Saren was still moving. How was that possible? They were all thinking along the same line when three pistols and an assault rifle opened fire on the former rogue Spectre. His body convulsed as every bullet hit anything that was unprotected.

For a few minutes, they did nothing but fire their weapons. When their weapons reached the point that they started to overheat, they finally stopped firing. Sovereign-Saren's body dropped to the floor and they cautiously approached to make sure he really was dead this time. His remains suddenly exploded in a ball of red energy with enough power to knock them all off their feet, much to Sid's annoyance. It was when she was sprawled on her back that she could see the space battle going on overhead. Sovereign was perched on a piece of the Citadel and every single ship was firing at it. A few shots lit up his shields and some caused huge explosions. Sovereign managed to fire off a few shots and those were enough to completely destroy them, giving the crews no chance to even fire off a distress beacon, let alone escape pods.

Red energy started to envelop Sovereign, much like it had Saren. Shepard guessed this meant its shields were down because every ship started to fire with renewed vigour. Every shot caused an explosion and every explosion caused massive damage to Sovereign. It soon lost its grip on the Citadel and bigger explosions could be seen. Another blast of red energy signalled Sovereign was about to explode and Shepard could only hope every ship retreated to a safe distance. The final explosion that followed was massive and a powerful shockwave spread in all directions. Massive chunks of Sovereign were flung haphazardly in the chaos and it was in that moment that Shepard realised they were in very big trouble. A couple bits of Sovereign were heading towards them.

"Move!" Shepard ordered in her loudest voice.

Sid and Kaidan didn't need to be told twice and they were already running. Shepard forced herself onto her feet and started running for the exit. A few pieces had already crashed behind her and she slid to a stop when pieces crashed in front of them, blocking off their chance at escape. The whole floor shook and she looked around in a panic, trying to find a way out. They didn't have the time to clamber over bits and pieces of Sovereign.

"Jo!" Sid suddenly cried out.

Shepard looked up and saw a huge piece of Sovereign coming straight for her. Before she knew what happened, Sid suddenly pushed her out of the way. Shepard reached out for her but it was too late. The large chunk landed right where Sid had been standing moments before. Shepard could hear Kaidan calling her name from the other side. There was no noise from Sid and Shepard feared the worst. They had finally reconnected and now Sid was dead? Shepard refused to believe it. Besides, she'd made a promise to Joker and she intended on keeping it. Apparently, even dead, Sovereign had other ideas.

More pieces were raining down and Shepard rolled away. The Council Chamber had been severely damaged and there were holes in the floor. As Shepard rolled away, she fell down one of these holes and landed on her arm. Pain flared up her arm and she collapsed. The hole above was promptly covered by a piece of debris. She carefully rolled onto her back. Her arm was seriously sore but it wasn't broken, that much she was certain of. The whole room had gone silent which wasn't a good sign. At least pieces of Sovereign had stopped falling through. There were no cries coming from Sid or Kaidan and her heart sank. The two most important people in her life were most likely dead and it was entirely her fault.

Shepard remained in her hole, deep in thought, replaying every moment that had brought her to this point. The raid on Mindoir was no longer the same, not since Sid had resurfaced. Elysium was also not the same, knowing that Sid was supposed to be a part of it. The politics behind it also shed new light on the subject. Eden Prime had been an important milestone, both in her personal and private life. The Beacon had warned her of the coming Reapers and it was the first spark that hinted at a possible future with Kaidan. It was also the first step towards discovering Saren's roguish nature.

The trip to the Citadel afterwards had been enlightening too. It was where she had first met Wrex, Tali and Garrus. At that moment, she had never imagined how much of an impact they would have made on her life. She couldn't ask for better friends, even if Garrus was a bit hot headed and Tali a bit young and Wrex a bit violent. Next to meeting them, being appointed the first Human Spectre didn't seem that important. Therum had led to Liara and despite her mother's involvement, she had proved herself a loyal friend who would be there even if she didn't have any fighting experience.

The second trip to the Citadel had proved to be far too exciting. Shepard remembered the shock and surprise at learning her little sister was actually alive. She also remembered the anger she'd felt when it had become apparent that Sid was a smuggler and wanted criminal. As it turned out, they had all come to rely on Sid's criminal knowledge and connections. Shepard could never have anticipated how important she'd become. Hell, she never could have foreseen that Sid and Joker would instantly connect and form some sort of relationship. If she had bet any money on whom Sid would become involved with, Joker would not have been her guess.

Feros had been interesting and only because a homicidal plant had been involved. Noveria had been important because Liara had learnt that her mother was not a traitor and they had learnt about the Mu Relay. And then there was Virmire. How could one mission go so horribly wrong? Sid had tried to leave and ended up saving Kaidan's life. Ash had given her own life to make sure they stopped Saren and Wrex had almost died at Shepard's hand. At least they had made allies with Kirrahe's STG group. It had also been the moment when Shepard realised life was too short to keep her heart walled off anymore. Since Mindoir, her whole focus had been on her career because she was too scared to let anyone in again. She had made up with Sid and there was the beginnings of a relationship with Kaidan, one she could be really happy with.

Shepard lost all sense of time as exhaustion slowly overtook her. Her arm still throbbed and new pains started to form as the adrenaline wore off – injuries from fighting the geth and the Mako's crash. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she fought to stay awake. When she was halfway between consciousness and sleep, she could hear voices calling out her name. Was that Captain Anderson? That was impossible…wasn't it? Shepard couldn't figure out why that was supposedly impossible. In fact, she was having a hard time putting any thoughts together at all. Why wasn't her brain cooperating?

"Sir, we're picking up life signs over here!" someone cried out.

The debris above her shifted and dust started to fall in. After some effort, it disappeared entirely and light blinded her for a second. A few faces appeared briefly and then disappeared. It was replaced by Captain Anderson's face. To say he was relieved was probably a bit of an understatement.

"Hang on, Shepard. We'll get you out of there soon," he told her.

She nodded in her half-conscious state. All she wanted to do was sleep. Who could have guessed that saving the galaxy was so tiring? Somehow – she wasn't really in a state to say how – the men with Captain Anderson managed to get her out of the hole and onto a stretcher. Captain Anderson hovered over her, giving her comforting words about how everything was going to be all right. Those words didn't matter and she wished it was Kaidan standing over her.

"What about Sid and Kaidan?" she asked thickly.

Anderson hesitated briefly and it was enough to slap her out of her exhaustion. "Lieutenant Alenko is fine, just a few minor injuries."

Shepard suddenly sat up and a nearby medic tried to push her down again but she resisted. "Where's Sid?"

"We don't know, Shepard," Anderson admitted. "But I give you my word I won't stop until I've found her. I owe her that much."

Shepard allowed herself to be pushed back down onto the stretcher. "I'll hold you to that promise, Captain."

With that, she no longer had the strength to keep the exhaustion at bay and the world around her went dark and quiet. Sleep was never appreciated as much as in that moment.


	24. Chapter 24

**I just wanted to thank you all for your continued support and patience. Hard to believe I've been writing this story for a year now but it is finally done. It was a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I don't know when the sequel will be up but hopefully it won't take too much time.**

**And I would love to hear your thoughts through reviews. Let me know what you loved, what you hated, what needs work, what doesn't and I'll keep those in mind when I write the sequel. Thank you all again. You are all awesome readers and I look forward to hearing from you.**

**Chapter 24**

Sid took a moment to take stock of her current situation. A large piece of Sovereign had crashed through the ceiling and while it hadn't crushed her, it had done a marvellous job of pinning her to the floor. A large portion was pressing against her chest which made it impossible to breathe though her ribs – which now felt broken – hadn't made it any easier. Her right arm was outstretched to the side and was also pinned beneath its great weight. Her fingers were starting to go numb and she was pretty sure the jagged edge had cut her wrist. She could feel warm blood running down her arm. The air around her was starting to feel musty and she was suddenly glad that she had never been claustrophobic.

There had been a few moments where she had heard Kaidan calling for Jo and for her but she couldn't respond. Her chest hurt too much and she was already having trouble catching her breath. Yelling loudly without a guarantee that anyone would hear seemed like a pointless way to waste much needed oxygen. Getting pinned beneath a large piece of a Reaper and slowing dying on the Citadel had not been how she imagined her death. She didn't often imagine how she would die but she figured it would be heroic and she would go down in a blaze of glory, fighting against slavers or bandits or mercenaries; maybe even a dramatic show down against the Shadow Broker. Sid glanced to her arm again. Her omni-tool would be utterly destroyed. Poor little guy. It had done so much for her and had saved her life so many times.

If she could have, she would have laughed at herself. Here she was, pinned to the floor, and she was lamenting the death of her omni-tool. At least Jo would be alive and she would get her happy ending with Kaidan. At least one person would be happy. Joker would not be and Sid felt intensely guilty about it. Letting people in or allowing them to get close was something Sid had always avoided and she now realised it was going to hurt Joker more than it would ever hurt her. Perhaps ever getting close to him had been a huge mistake on her part, not because she didn't like him but because Joker deserved better. Slowly, it became harder for Sid to put simple thoughts together and her vision started to go dark.

_The room was small with barely enough space for the bed that had been squeezed in along the left wall. A medium sized trunk had been placed at the foot of the bed and filled the gap that remained between the bed and the wall. A desk had been placed in the middle of the right wall. Some boxes had been placed in the corner between the desk and the wall which had the only door. There were no windows and there was a single lamp on a small table next to the bed. Even though it didn't have any bars, it was still a prison cell and Sid knew it. She may have just been thirteen years old and had just suffered through a traumatic event but she knew when she was in deep shit._

_She was huddled in the corner that had been left open with her knees against her chest and her arms were wrapped around her legs. Her forehead rested against her knees with her eyes closed. None of this could be happening. It must have been a dream. No, make that a nightmare. Mindoir, the only home she had ever known, had been raided by pirates, mostly Batarians, and thousands of people had been killed. Even more had been enslaved. Sid had no idea what had happened to her family and she knew she should have been there. Why was she alive when everyone else was dead? What made her so special? Or was it simple luck? Whether it was good luck or bad luck remained to be seen, considering she owed her life to a Batarian. Perhaps this was just another slaver, like all the rest._

_The door opened suddenly and she jumped at the noise. When she looked up, there was a Batarian standing in front of the door, effectively blocking off her only way out. He was tall, even for a Batarian, and he was wearing medium dark blue armour. His skin was a dark shade of brown and he was pretty muscular, even by Batarian standards. A pistol was holstered on his hip and even if she could get to it, the chances that she could escape were slim. She was on an unknown ship with an unknown number of crew members heading to an unknown destination and she didn't even know how to use a gun, besides the whole 'point and shoot concept'. There were just too many unknowns._

_It took Sid a moment to recognise the Batarian as the one who had saved – if save was the right word – her life and he was the smuggler captain whose ship she was now on. It took her even longer to notice that he was holding a tray in his hands. There was a plate with what looked like a loaf of bread and a tin cup sitting on it. The Batarian took a few steps into the room and Sid flinched, trying to retreat further into her corner but she wasn't able to. The Batarian stopped walking and sat down on the bed instead, placing the tray beside him. All four of his eyes were watching her intently and while she didn't have much experience with aliens, he looked like he regretted the situation they found themselves in._

"_I do not mean you harm, young one," he told her. "If I did, I would have left you on that planet and not saved you."_

"_Did you?" she asked. "Did you save me?"_

_The Batarian did not reply immediately. "Perhaps not. You are alive. What you do with that is your own choice."_

_Sid frowned. Since when were Batarians so philosophical? "Is my family dead?"_

"_If they were on Mindoir, then yes. It is the likeliest option. If they aren't dead…well, the alternative isn't much better," the Batarian answered honestly._

_Sid pressed her forehead against her knees again and felt tears run down her face. "What happens now?"_

"_I took a big risk when I intervened so you will have to stay with us for a while," the Batarian explained carefully. "When the others stop watching us, I'll take you wherever you want to go."_

_She looked up in surprise. "I have nowhere else to go. Everyone I knew was on Mindoir and they're _dead_. And now I'm your prisoner. If you don't mean me harm, why the hell were you even there?!"_

"_When I agreed to smuggle cargo for the pirates, I didn't know what it was until I got there," he answered. "The pirates are bloodthirsty and ruthless. If I declined the job when I got there, they would have executed me and my crew. I hoped some good could come from all of this."_

"_I'm your good deed for the day?" she demanded in anger. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?!"_

_The Batarian did not answer and he instead got to his feet slowly, heading towards the door. Before he got there, Sid decided she had a question she needed to ask._

"_Why me? Why save me?"_

_He turned around to look at her. "You found yourself in an impossible situation and you fought back."_

_Sid raised an eyebrow. "It was stupid and reckless and if you hadn't intervened, it would have gotten me killed."_

"_The will to survive is nothing to be ashamed of. I saved you because you have the strength to survive, to adapt and possibly, to fight back. You are far stronger than anyone else I saw there. You just need to decide how you plan to use it, young one."_

_She was completely speechless. This alien whom she had never met saw something in her that her family had ignored and he was showing her such kindness that she never expected._

"_My name is Morkal and while you are on my ship, you will be protected," he promised._

_He didn't ask for her name nor did he look like he expected it. As he turned to leave, she sighed uneasily._

"_Sydney," and then she corrected herself. "Sid."_

_He turned to face her again. "I brought you some food. Whether you eat it is up to you."_

_She started to unwrap her arms from around her legs and winced. In all of the excitement and panic, the adrenaline had made her forget about the injuries. Morkal had noticed and carefully approached. He knelt in front of her and held out his hands, giving her the option to not do anything. Hesitantly, she reached out and placed her hands palm facing up in his hands. Morkal tightened his fingers around her wrist and gently moved her hands to get a better look. He was careful not to hurt her. The skin was red and inflamed but the most damage was around her fingers, mostly her fingertips. The burns were serious. Sid had no idea how serious – she wasn't a doctor – but Morkal's expression said it all._

"_Come. We'll get some medi-gel on your hands and bandage them up," he said and helped her stand._

"_Thank you, Morkal."_

_The Batarian smiled gently and much to her surprise, she returned the smile shyly._

Sid opened her eyes and was momentarily blinded. There was nothing but bright white light for a few moments. This was really confusing. Did this mean she was dead? People always talked about a light at the end of the tunnel and staying away from it. They also mentioned their lives flashing before their eyes but that hadn't happened…unless the dream about Morkal counted? Steadily, the light faded and the room came into focus. The all too familiar fluorescent lighting overhead was the first thing she noticed. This meant that she was not actually dying. It also meant that Dr Chakwas was going to have a fit. Sid had been her patient one too many times and it was mostly because Sid had a tendency to not think her decisions through. Dr Chakwas probably already had a lecture prepared and everything.

The next thing that came into focus was the dull throbbing, mostly around her chest. There was a tightness around it when she tried to breathe in and she figured it was the bandages that had been wrapped around her ribs to provide the support needed for the healing process and to keep her ribs from moving too much. There was also some stinging around her right wrist and she could feel the weight of a bandage around it, starting midway in her forearm and finishing between her fingers. There was also a faint tugging which led her to believe the cut had been serious enough for stitches. At the moment, she was far too scared to move anything, just in case, and her mind had the familiar fog that indicated there were still strong painkillers in her system. Moving anything now would result in pain at some point. In this case, it was better to play it safe.

Sid closed her eyes again, now that she knew she was out of danger. The Medical Bay was quiet and Sid was surprised by how much she appreciated it. Even in smuggling, a quiet rest in between jobs was always good. The soft beeping of her heart monitor faded to the background and she realised there was no Dr Chakwas anywhere. There was also some quiet murmuring nearby. She opened her eyes and turned her head to the side. Jo was in a cot a few cots down and she was sitting up, propped on some pillows. Her arm was also bandaged and in a sling. Her uninjured hand was clasped in both of Kaidan's hands. He appeared to be all right and he was sitting in a chair beside Jo's bed. They were having a whispered conversation and they were both smiling. Sid guessed the conversation wasn't for innocent ears.

"You two seriously need to get a room," Sid commented with a smirk.

Jo and Kaidan looked up in surprise. Jo then grinned and shook her head.

"We were talking about you, Sid."

Sid pulled a face. Kaidan walked over and started to check all the machines and other medically important stuff. He was Dr Chakwas' unofficial assistant, after all. Considering he didn't frown or pull any faces, Sid guessed that was good news. Or at least there was nothing seriously wrong.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Just peachy. Where's Dr Chakwas?"

"She's on the Citadel, helping with the wounded," Kaidan answered as he brought up his omni-tool. "You weren't in critical condition so she left me in charge for a bit." He paused briefly. "Dr Chakwas is glad you're finally awake but she wants you to remain in bed and move as little as possible until she can examine you."

"Oh. I'd already prepared myself for her lecture."

Jo snorted in amusement. "You've had us worried for the past two days and now, you're cracking jokes like nothing happened?"

"I've been out for two days?" Sid asked in surprise.

"We're not sure how long you were unconscious for," Kaidan answered honestly. "It took them a day to find you. The piece of Sovereign that had you pinned made it impossible to detect your life signs unless they were standing right next to you. It was dumb luck that Garrus found you."

"Luck," Sid repeated absently. "I guess that makes Garrus and I even."

Jo frowned at her tone of voice. "Why'd you save me?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Sid answered.

Jo shook her head. "Why did I expect a serious answer?"

"Because you're an optimist?" Sid suggested helpfully. "Any news?"

"Nothing good," Jo answered quietly. "Between Saren, Sovereign and the geth the Citadel has sustained heavy damage. The search for survivors and casualties is taking a lot of time. Quite a lot of people are still missing and C-Sec just doesn't have the manpower. Executor Pallin is a confirmed casualty though."

Sid frowned. "That's…unfortunate. He was a good man and he was good at his job. C-Sec will suffer."

"I'm surprised you would think so," Jo replied.

Sid smiled. "Is it so hard to believe that I respected him? He's the closest anyone's ever gotten to arresting me. If we weren't on opposite sides of the law…I don't know. He would have made a good ally. What about the _Normandy_?"

Jo and Kaidan saw right through that question. They shared a smile.

"Joker's fine," Kaidan answered.

Sid smiled in relief.

"Everyone is fine too," Jo continued. "Tali was invaluable to Engineer Adams during the battle. Wrex and Garrus held off a geth attack on C-Sec where a lot of survivors were hiding. The _Normandy_ sustained the least possible damage even though it was at the font of the battle, thanks to Joker. We lost a few ships rescuing the Council though."

"But Sovereign is dead, right?"

"He exploded into a million pieces so we're assuming so," Kaidan answered.

"Huh. And it only took a shit load of ships to kill him," Sid remarked thoughtfully.

Jo gave her a sideways glance. "You don't believe the Reapers will just give up?"

"Do you?" Sid challenged.

Jo snorted in amusement again (it probably hurt to actually laugh). "No but half the galaxy thinks I'm crazy for even thinking the Reapers exist. Good to know I'm not the only one who thinks they're still going to invade."

Sid made an attempt to sit up but gave up when it hurt too much. "I know greed when I see it, Jojo. I don't think the Reapers will stop unless we give them a reason to. Stalling their invasion? It might give them pause to recalculate and give us some breathing room but at the end of the day, I don't think anything will stop them short of total and utter defeat. You see it all the time in the Terminus Systems. Only difference is the Reapers aren't stupid or careless."

"Pirates are also a lot easier to kill," Kaidan pointed out. "Sovereign took a lot of firepower to kill and that was just one Reaper. Unless people start taking our warnings seriously, I don't think we'll have a good chance of winning."

Jo was silent for a moment. "They have to have a weakness. Everything does. We just proved that the Reapers _can_ be defeated but there has to be a more effective way of killing them."

"Perhaps…" Sid drifted off thoughtfully.

"You have an idea?" Jo asked with an arched eyebrow.

"It's a long shot," Sid admitted hesitantly.

"And stopping Saren and stalling a Reaper invasion wasn't?" Kaidan argued.

"Well, comparatively speaking, those achievements might be a walk in the park," Sid replied. "But, the Reapers are technically machines, right? Really advanced and sentient machines but still, they have programming and are essentially computers. Maybe a virus can be created that will destroy them?"

Jo looked a bit confused, like she didn't understand how it would work or where to start.

Kaidan frowned. "It's a good idea in theory but the geth are impossible to hack into or infect with a virus. The Reapers are far more advanced than the geth."

"It's a fair point but no programming is perfect," Sid reasoned even though Kaidan still didn't look convinced.

"What would you need?" Jo asked.

Sid considered this for a moment. "Data. Lots and lots of data. Collecting most of it won't be a problem…although I would need some from Sovereign. I somehow doubt the Council is in a hurry to let anyone near it."

"I'm still a Spectre, Sid," Jo pointed out. "I'll see what I can do. Do you think it will work?"

"I won't know until I understand the way in which a Reaper functions," she explained. "The only Reaper we have access to is destroyed and I really do not want to examine another one. Even then, the Reapers may be too advanced for anything I can do and the chances of people lining up to help me are non-existent. Especially now."

"What do you mean?" Kaidan asked.

"Think about it. We just survived an attempted invasion by the geth and Saren. They believe we've won. Do you think they want to believe that there's an even worse battle on the horizon? That our enemies sound like something out of a horror vid? Ignorance is bliss and in times like these, people tend to cling to it until the evidence is staring them straight in the face," Sid clarified. "It doesn't help that the leaders everyone looks up to deny the existence of the Reapers."

"We have a real fight on our hands," Jo agreed.

"At least things are never dull," Sid decided.

* * *

><p>Even though the battle was over, the Citadel was still in a state of chaos. Huge sections had been destroyed by the geth or by Sovereign. C-Sec didn't have the manpower to do anything on their own and so, many soldiers that had fought in the Battle of the Citadel – as people now started to call it – had offered their assistance. The priority was to look for survivors. Clean-up crews had been organised to clear away the geth remains and chunks of Sovereign. Shepard suspected that this really meant moving them to a more secure location for study later on. C-Sec was in charge of coordinating the lists of missing people, confirmed casualties and survivors so the news of loved ones could be spread quickly. Most of the soldiers handled the moving of debris.<p>

Garrus had volunteered to assist C-Sec and they were very grateful to have him. He was receiving a lot of praise from his former colleagues for saving the C-Sec Academy and for his part in the mission against Saren. Tali was off helping the engineers that had been assigned the daunting task of repairs to offer her expertise and experience. Liara had followed Dr Chakwas to help with the injured and also to collect identifications for C-Sec. Wrex was helping the soldiers with moving the debris. Shepard and Sid had been restricted to the _Normandy_ for the past few days to rest under the watchful eye of Kaidan. Sid had spent the last day with Joker, catching up and apparently making good on a promise to dinner. Shepard had no idea how that happened and she wasn't planning on asking. Given the current situation on the Citadel, their dinner took place in the Mess Hall on the _Normandy_. It was hardly romantic but the continuous laughter made it sound like they had a great time.

Today was meant to be another day of relaxing and resting. Shepard's arm was still sore and the very annoying sling was required at all times. Sid's injuries were also still serious but Dr Chakwas seemed to think that walking around was a good idea. Based on Sid's facial expressions, she disagreed. It was late morning when Captain Anderson had come aboard the _Normandy_ to pass along a message. The Council had requested a meeting with Shepard, Sid and Kaidan to discuss the outcome of the battle and something else which was on a need to know basis. It sounded really important. Dr Chakwas had reluctantly agreed to let them go on the threat that if they made their injuries worse, she would strap them to their cots until she decided otherwise.

Shepard and Kaidan had opted to wear their uniforms. Walking around in their armour just wasn't practical and it would probably attract a lot of attention. Shepard was being hailed as the Hero of the Battle of the Citadel which was unfair in her opinion. Not only did she have a lot of help but others had given their lives to save the Council. They were the real heroes. She didn't want to attract too much attention to herself and was attempting to fly under the radar. Sid was wearing her usual casual clothes and was having trouble keeping up with the two Marines. At least she was over her depression. She had been very upset to discover that her omni-tool had been completely crushed and was therefore destroyed until she retrieved her back up omni-tool. Shepard had no idea why it was such a big deal if she had a backup.

The Presidium bustled with activity. There were soldiers, C-Sec officers, survivors, medics and civilians looking for their lost loved ones. Even though it had only been a few days, quite a bit of debris had been removed and provided a clear path to the Council Chambers. Shepard wondered if this was a coincidence or if the Council had ordered it this way. A few soldiers noticed their passing and saluted in greeting; a mixture of awe and respect on their faces. Shepard attempted to return the salutes and tried to keep her discomfort from showing. All this…admiration and hero worship was too much for her. She had done her job, nothing else.

They eventually made it to the elevator and Shepard was quite relieved to step out of the public eye for a few minutes. She leant her forehead against the glass and closed her eyes. After Elysium, people had started to pay a lot of attention to her and it finally stopped just in time for her to be named the first Human Spectre. Now she was the Hero of the Battle of the Citadel. Quiet moments like this would be few and she needed to appreciate them when they came. She was going to be under close scrutiny and would be expected to represent the Alliance – and Humanity – well. The crew of the _Normandy_ had already accepted this and were doing a good job of it already. Whatever scrutiny followed Shepard would apply to her crew too. Shepard opened her eyes and found Sid using her omni-tool. Despite her injury, she still had it on her right arm and was putting a lot of effort into not hurting herself more.

"Sid, what will you do now?" Shepard asked quietly. A part of her was afraid that her little sister would just up and leave, disappearing into the obscure once again.

Sid looked up in surprise. "Honestly? I have no idea. I haven't really thought about it."

"I thought you'd be excited to return to smuggling," Shepard replied.

"As nice as it would be, smuggling is a bit hard without a ship," Sid remarked. "And even if I could find a ship, it'll be months before I can actually do anything."

"Why?" Kaidan asked.

Sid smiled. "Well, you can't just buy a smuggling ship. It has to be converted and modified. Besides being expensive, it also takes a lot of time. And my reputation is completely ruined. I'll have to start from scratch."

Shepard frowned. No one knew that Sid was Ghost and that she was working for the Alliance. How would her reputation be ruined?

Sid understood the confusion just fine. "I kept my identity secret so even my clients never saw Ghost. Between my skill and charm, I got paid pretty well for even the simplest of jobs. When some people noticed that Ghost wasn't in the game, they impersonated me to get the credits but their skill didn't match up. Everyone is confused now because they don't know who the real Ghost is and they don't want to take any chances. Ghost went from the best smuggler to a risk. I suppose that's what I get for keeping my identity secret."

"And your reputation is all you have," Shepard echoed Sid's words from a conversation that happened ages ago.

Sid inclined her head. "You catch on quick, Jojo."

Shepard smiled in amusement. She still had no idea about the nickname but it was starting to grow on her. She was also glad to know that Sid had no immediate plans to disappear…yet. She probably had Joker to thank for that.

"What do you suppose the Council wants?" Kaidan suddenly asked.

"I'm hoping it has nothing to do with us stealing the _Normandy_," Shepard answered.

Sid scoffed and then briefly winced, muttering something about her ribs. "That decision saved them and the Citadel. If they do decide to take action against us for it, well…"

"There will be an outcry," Kaidan finished. "There will be political pressure and I doubt Admiral Hackett would stand by and let anything happen to you, especially now that the Council owes the Alliance their lives."

"You make a compelling argument," Shepard replied with a smile.

It was good to know that they still had her back. Silence returned to the elevator. It was pointless to speculate about why the Council wanted to see them when they would find out in a few minutes. Still, she couldn't help but feel nervous. The Council was unpredictable, aside from the fact that they wouldn't take anything Shepard said without cold, hard evidence. Her mind drifted back to her early conversation with Sid about faith and she wished the Council would learn to take her warnings seriously. It wasn't like she was some crazed lunatic with a history of making stuff up for attention.

The elevator finally reached its destination and they all exited it. The Council Chambers must have received some attention because most of the debris had been pushed to the sides. Aside from scorch marks, burnt trees, cracks in the floor and glass still scattered throughout the room, you wouldn't know that a final battle against Saren had taken place in this room. Shepard was suddenly overwhelmed by her most recent memories in this place. She hadn't known whether she would live or if the others were still alive and then hearing the news that they couldn't find Sid. Shepard looked to Sid and noticed she was looking around the room as if she was remembering some things for the first time.

Captain Anderson approached. "Shepard! It's good to see you."

"And you, Anderson," she returned the enthusiastic greeting.

"How's the arm?" he asked after he greeted Kaidan and Sid.

"Healing," she replied with a slight shrug. "Is the Council ready to see us?"

"Just about," Anderson answered. "We're just waiting on Ambassador Udina."

Shepard would die an ecstatic person if she never had to see that back stabbing scum ever again. Her expression darkened at his name. She would keep things professional but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"He's running late," Sid supplied suspiciously with a mischievous smirk.

"Sid, what did you do?" Shepard asked carefully. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.

"Well, after what he did, I decided to make his life hell," she answered. "Nothing fatal of course. Just enough to make sure every day is a bad day."

Even Captain Anderson chuckled. It certainly was one way to get revenge and Udina wouldn't even know she was behind it. Udina eventually arrived, breathless and flustered. They skipped the pleasantries and made their way over to the Council. They weren't standing on their usual raised platforms but were instead on level ground. Perhaps they wanted to appear as equals or maybe Sovereign had destroyed their podiums.

"Ambassador Udina. Captain Anderson. Commander Shepard," the Asari Councillor greeted. "We have gathered here to recognise the enormous contributions of the Alliance forces in the war against Sovereign and the geth."

Shepard felt a small glimmer of hope. Did this mean the Council was prepared to recognise Sovereign as a Reaper?

"Many humans lost their lives in the battle to save the Citadel, brave and courageous soldiers who willingly gave their lives so that we – the Council – might live," the Salarian Councillor continued.

"There is no greater sacrifice and we share your grief over the tragic loss of so many noble men and women," the Turian Councillor added.

The Asari Councillor resumed speaking. "The Council also owes you a great personal debt, Commander. One we can never repay. You saved not just our lives but the lives of billions from Sovereign and the Reapers."

"Commander Shepard," the Salarian Councillor spoke again. "Your heroic and selfless actions serve as a symbol of everything humanity and the Alliance stand for."

"And though we cannot bring back those valiant soldiers who gave their lives to save ours, we can honour their memories through our actions," the Turian Councillor announced.

Shepard had no idea where this was going but she could feel butterflies forming in the pit of her stomach. Something important was happening and it was because of her actions but she couldn't stop herself analysing the Asari Councillor's earlier words. While she admitted that Sovereign and the Reapers existed, she spoke like the threat was over.

"Humanity has shown it is ready to stand as a defender and protector of the galaxy," the Asari Councillor resumed. "You have proved you are worthy to join our ranks and serve beside us on the Citadel Council."

Shepard was speechless. Humanity was finally a part of the Council? And all it took was saving the current Council and letting soldiers die.

Ambassador Udina straightened his posture smugly. "Councillor, on behalf of Humanity and the Alliance, we thank you for this prestigious honour and humbly accept."

Shepard wanted to slap that smug look off of his face but now was not the time.

"We will need a list of potential candidates to fill Humanity's seat on the Council," the Salarian Councillor informed them.

The Asari Councillor fixed her eyes on Shepard. "Given all that has happened, I am sure your recommendation will carry a great deal of weight. Do you support any particular candidate?"

Shepard was pleased to notice the colour pale from Udina's face. He knew he hadn't made any friends with the crew of the _Normandy_ and now his career was in her hands – a person he had recently scorned. This decision, however, was too important to allow a grudge to affect. Politics was not Shepard's business and therefore, she couldn't make this decision for them.

"With all due respect, Councillors, I do not believe I am qualified to do so," she answered. "Politics is a bit over my head and this decision is too important. I'm sure the politicians can sort this out."

"I agree with the Commander," Udina interjected and did she detect some relief? "We can't rush into this."

"We understand, Ambassador. We will welcome your candidate with open arms, whomever they may be," the Asari Councillor assured.

"Sovereign's defeat marks the beginning of a new era for both humanity and the Council," the Turian Councillor announced.

Shepard fought to keep her voice calm. "Sovereign was only a vanguard. The Reaper Fleet is still coming. Hundreds of ship, possibly even thousands. And I'm going to find some way to stop them."

Shepard turned around and walked away with Sid and Kaidan following close behind. She had meant every word she had said and with the _Normandy_ and her crew at her side, Shepard knew they would find a way to put an end to the Reapers, once and for all.

**As I mentioned above, I hope you enjoyed reading this fic. If you are interested in the sequel, then please head over to my profile. I have a poll regarding Sid and her future romantic interest: Joker or James Vega? I can't decide between the two and think they are both awesome so I am leaving the decision up to you – the reader. Depending on how many votes I get between now and the part when it becomes story critical, I will choose whichever character gets the most votes. If they are too close, I'll use my own judgement. If you have any thoughts on this, feel free to PM me. And also please review. I live for reviews.**


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